Mustangs earn come-from-behind win

DES MOINES, Iowa - The Mount Mercy women's volleyball team started off their five-match road streak with an exciting win after trailing two sets to one, against inner-state foe, Grand View in a Heart of America Athletic Conference clash. The Mustangs defeated the Vikings 25-16, 17-25, 22-25, 25-20, and 25-11 inside the Charles S. Wellness Center. This is the first time Mount Mercy has beat Grand View twice in the same season. 

Mount Mercy jumped out to a fast start, hitting an outstanding .367 in the first set on 15 kills compared to just four errors. Grand View used their home court advantage and flipped the script, hitting .261 in the second set to even the match at one apiece. The Mustangs struggled to get into an offensive rhythm in the second and third sets, leading to a 2-1 deficit. With their backs against the wall, Mount Mercy took the momentum halfway through the fourth set. Madi Havermann's kill broke a 14-14 tie and the Mustangs didn't look back. Over the final ten points, Mount Mercy received kills from four different Mustangs to force the decisive fifth set. 

The two teams traded points for the beginning of the final set, but back-to-back kills from Jenna Brown and Cassidy Boche gave Mount Mercy the breathing room they needed at 5-3. Grand View (7-18, 7-6 Heart) answered and got within one a few times, but Mount Mercy never faltered. An ace by Mackenzie Murphy was the icing on the cake as Havermann followed that up with her seventh kill to end the set and match. 

Kendall McNaull and Havermann were forces to be reckoned with at the net, each totalling seven blocks to slow down the Viking offense. Rylie Mussman and Baylee Russ were two more key components on defense as well, finishing with 24 and five digs, respectively. Hailey Hested filled up the stat sheet with 48 assists, seven digs, two kills and a block. Murphy tallied 16 kills with Katie Kopriva and Brown finishing with eight, while Havermann and Boche added seven each. 

Mount Mercy (18-6, 11-3 Heart) continues their road stint with two more Heart matchups this weekend. First, the Mustangs face Peru State (Neb.) (7-17, 2-10 Heart) at 7:00 on Friday, Oct. 20 followed by Graceland (6-15, 3-10 Heart) at 11:00 am on Saturday, Oct. 21.