M OR N IN GS ID E C O L L E G E MATCHDAY - OCTOBER 16 & 17 , 2020
MUSTANG VOLLEYBALL Morningside College looks to continue a recent hot streak of play, as Mount Marty University and the College of Saint Marty visit Allee Gymnasium and the Rosen-Verdoorn Sports Center for Great Plains Athletic Conference action this weekend. Head coach Jessica Squier’s squad, winners of three of their last four, has a 5-6 overall and 4-4 GPAC record. That mark is good for sixth on the conference standings, which is just a halfmatch behind Dordt University for a spot in the top five.
MUSTANG MARKS A consistent trio of junior setter Sabrina Creason, junior defensive specialist Kayla Harris, and senior outside hitter Krista Zenk reside among the GPAC’s statistical top five. Harris remains the leader in digs per set (5.8), while Creason and Zenk are both second in regards to assists (11.1) and kills (4.1) per set. On the national level, Creason is second in total assists (466) and third in assists per set; Harris is third in total digs (243), and Zenk is fifth in total kills (174) … Homecoming Week and Senior Night 2020 coincided for Mside last week with remarkable results. Morningside upended Dordt 3-1, with scores of 25-22, 25-20, 20-25, and 25-22, snapping a streak dating back to October of 2012. It was the first time the Mustangs took a set from Dordt since 2017. “We focused on simplifying the game of volleyball, focused on our team and ball control,” shared Squier. She continued, “We did a good job of not letting the noise get to us.” When on the attack, the Mustangs racked up 58 kills, with 21 attack errors, swinging for a better than .215 hitting percentage. Zenk led the attack with 15 kills, junior outside hitter Kaelyn Giefer finished with 14, senior outside hitter Caitlin Makovicka added 12, and freshman middle hitter Meredith Hoffman rounded out the double-digit efforts with 10. Hoffman’s .360 percentage took top honors. Similarly, the Mustang defense paved the way for the offense, giving the attackers a strong base as it worked for 81 digs. Harris set the tone, with 26 digs in the four sets. Senior defensive specialist Ashley Boer dug up 15 balls, and Zenk and sophomore outside hitter Ryley Rolls each found 14. While not having a dominating presence on the stat sheet, Morningside’s blockers played a role in the match. Rolls, Makovicka, and Hoffman each picked up two block assists as part of four team blocks while also directing the ball to the waiting back row … Following this weekend’s homestand, Morningside goes on the road into Nebraska Friday and Saturday, Oct. 23 and 24, for matches against Midland University and Concordia University.
ABOUT MOUNT MARTY Head coach Frank Hebenstreit’s team sports a 5-8 overall and 0-4 league record. The outside hitter tandem of senior Elizabeth Watchorn and sophomore Gabby Ruth leads the Lancer offense, as Ruth has collected 130 kills, and Watchorn has 118 through 13 contests. Watchorn is also first in service
aces (12), with junior Molly Brinkman (166 digs) and senior Mikaela Ahrendt (31 blocks) being statistical leaders, too.
COLLEGE OF SAINT MARY NOTES Junior outside hitter Makenna Freeman’s 107 kills anchored the offense for head coach Rick Pruett’s Flames over ten matches. Junior middle hitter Elizabeth Dlouhy (70) and junior outside hitters Alicia Hogan (65) and Rosa Reed-Bouley (60) followed Freeman’s attack totals. Pruett’s crew went into the weekend as one of the conference’s best defensively upfront. They had three players with 20-or-more blocks, led by freshman defensive specialist/middle hitter Lauryn Willman (36). Reed-Bouley (25) and senior middle hitter Mackenzie Melton (23) were also in the range. CSM (7-3 overall, 2-3 GPAC) began a Sioux City two-step with a match at Briar Cliff last night.