Mustangs split weekend road trip    

BALDWIN CITY, Kan. / ATCHISON, Kan. – The Mount Mercy women's volleyball team took an eight-match winning streak into two Heart of America Athletic Conference contests against southern division foes, Baker and Benedictine. The Mustangs beat the Wildcats in straight sets, 3-0 (25-20, 25-11, 25-17) on Friday night before the Ravens snapped the streak at nine, 3-1 (22-25, 26-28, 25-16, 21-25), earlier this morning.

The first set against Baker was the closest of the night as Mount Mercy couldn't muscle more than a five-point advantage. Six different Mustangs recorded a kill in the set, led by Maggie Peters. She hammered home three of the final four points before Mackenzie Murphy finished it off. The Mustangs built a 14-4 lead in the second set, then extended it to 14 after back-to-back kills from Murphy and Peters once again to take a two-set lead. Mount Mercy led early in the third set again, but Baker (2-8, 0-2 Heart) got within three at 12-9. From that point on, Peters and Murphy took over, accounting for six kills together for the sweep.

Mount Mercy tallied 15 kills or more in every set. The Mustangs also finished with eight blocks, holding Baker to just 19 total kills on a .088 hitting percentage. Peters hit a scorching .480 on 15 kills to go along with two solo blocks and four block assists. Murphy finished with 12 kills and 11 digs, her eighth double-double of the year.

Benedictine (7-3, 2-0 Heart) and Mount Mercy were notched up at 12 apiece in the first set of today's morning match, and neither team led by more than three the rest of the set. Consecutive kills by Katie Kopriva brought the Mustangs within two, 24-22, but the Ravens had an answer to take the first set.  Mount Mercy jumped out to a 9-3 lead in the second set, but the Benedictine slowly climbed back into the set, leveling it at 14-14. It was back and forth for the remainder of the set until a Raven kill and ace sealed the deal at 28-26. The third set was even until Mount Mercy took an 11 all tie and turned it into a 23-15 lead, after a Murphy kill. Peters drilled home the final two points to get the Mustangs on the board, two sets to one. Mount Mercy found themselves down 22-16 in the fourth set but didn't surrender easily. A Kopriva kill cut the deficit in half, 24-21, but the Ravens prevailed and handed the Mustangs their first lost in conference play.

Despite out-blocking (15 to 4) and out-hitting (.214 to .182) the Ravens, the Mustangs came up short on their comeback bid to extend their winning streak. Benedictine got timely plays and capitalized on Mount Mercy miscues. Peters finished with 14 kills, Murphy was right behind with 13, while Cassidy Boche and Kopriva each added 10. Rylie Mussman led all players with 26 digs. Murphy tallied 25 digs of her own and Boche and Hailey Hested totaled 13 apiece. Hested dished out 45 assists as well.

Mount Mercy (9-2, 2-1 Heart) is back in action Tuesday Sept. 13 at 7:00 pm as Grand View (3-9, 2-2 Heart) comes to town for a north division Heart of America Athletic Conference showdown inside Hennessey Rec. Center.