Mustangs split with Valor, Owls

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. / FULTON, Mo. - After a week off, the Mount Mercy volleyball team traveled to Missouri for Heart of America Athletic Conference action against Evangel on Friday night followed by a non-conference tilt against William Woods earlier today. The Mustangs fell to the Valor but held off a comeback from the Owls for their sixth, five-set win of the year. 

The first set between Evangel (15-13, 8-7 Heart) and Mount Mercy featured 10 ties, four lead changes, and extra play before the Valor capitalized on two errors and defeated the Mustangs 29-27. Mount Mercy got within one at the 8-7 mark after a block from Kendall McNaull. Evangel carried over the momentum from the first set to the second set, using a five-point swing to build their lead to 19-10. The Mustangs could not overcome the deficit and dropped set two, 25-16. The Valor led 6-1 early in the third set, but the Mustangs countered with four kills and an Izzie McKinley ace to level the set at 12-12. After an Evangel timeout, the Valor scored three points in a row and never surrendered their lead, taking the set and the match at 25-19. 

McKinley dished out 37 assists, which is seventh-best in Mount Mercy history for assists in a three-set match. She also grabbed 11 digs to pace the Mustangs. Murphy finished with 12 kills and Kopriva added seven. 

Mount Mercy came out firing against William Woods (12-15) this afternoon, taking the first two sets 25-18 and 25-21. Back-to-back-to-back kills from Murphy, Cassidy Boche, and Brown put the icing on the cake for the first set. After giving up consecutive set-points, McKinley capped off the set with a kill of her own. The Owls stormed back to take the next two sets 25-23 and 25-17 to force a fifth set. For the first time all weekend, the Mustangs led from start to finish after a Boche kill for the first point. Two straight aces from Brown, a Kopriva kill, and a block assist from Maggie Peters and Kopriva, Mount Mercy extended their lead to 12-6. The Owls cut the deficit in half at 13-10, but ensuing kills from Boche and Peters gave the match to Mount Mercy, 15-10. 

Boche led all players with 14 kills while Murphy added nine and Kopriva eight. Brown filled up the stat sheet totaling seven kills, five aces, five block assists, a solo block, and a dig. McKinley finished with 42 assists and 21 digs to go along with four kills and three block assists and a solo block.

Only two regular season matches remain and the Mustangs are making a push for the postseason. Mount Mercy (18-8 10-7 Heart) goes to Canton, Mo. on Friday, Oct. 28 for a showdown with Culver-Stockton (17-7, 9-6 Heart) at 7:00 pm.