Mustangs Capture Five-Set Thriller Against Pioneers

CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa – Mount Mercy women's volleyball improved to 10-3 overall and 5-1 in Heart of America Athletic Conference play with a five-set victory over MidAmerica Nazarene (21-25, 25-23, 28-26, 16-25, 16-14) Saturday afternoon at Hennessey Recreation Center.

The Mustangs recorded 57 total kills while limiting the Pioneers to a .168 hitting percentage in a match defined by long rallies and decisive late-set execution.

Hallie Bedier led Mount Mercy with 14 kills on 48 attempts, adding three block assists and finishing with 15.5 points. Mary Kate Bendlage produced 11 kills and nine digs, while Sam Schrage posted nine kills, two solo blocks, and four block assists. Bella Dantzler added eight kills and four blocks.

The Mustangs ran a two-setter system with Maddie Marquardt and Delaney Rhoden combining for 47 assists. Marquardt totaled 25 assists and one service ace, while Rhoden contributed 22 assists and one ace. Eryn Jackson anchored the back row with 15 digs, while Kate Wright added 13 digs and one ace.

In the opening set, MidAmerica Nazarene established control with a .242 hitting percentage behind Avery Lowe and Isabella Munari. Mount Mercy stayed within two points midway through, but a late 5-1 Pioneer run secured the set, 25-21.

The Mustangs responded in set two, hitting .238 with 16 kills. After falling behind 19-17, Mount Mercy used a 5-1 rally sparked by Bedier and Bendlage to regain the lead. A service ace from Brooke Ellyson and a kill by Bendlage closed the set, 25-23.

Set three proved pivotal. Both teams traded points through extended rallies, with neither side leading by more than three. Schrage and Gerdes combined for critical kills late, and Mount Mercy erased a 24-23 deficit with three consecutive points. After staving off set point twice, the Mustangs clinched it, 28-26, on a kill by Bedier.

The Pioneers forced a deciding frame by dominating the fourth set, 25-16, behind 14 kills and a .216 team hitting percentage. Mount Mercy struggled offensively, managing just eight kills on 41 attempts with six errors.

The fifth set featured 10 ties and four lead changes. Mount Mercy opened with a 3-0 lead following an ace by Ellyson and kills from Schrage and Gerdes. MidAmerica Nazarene responded with a 6-0 run, but the Mustangs stayed composed, drawing even at 8-8. Bedier, Dantzler, and Bendlage delivered key kills in the closing rallies, and Wright added a service ace to push the score to 16-14.

Overall, Mount Mercy hit .123 as a team with 74 points recorded through kills, blocks, and aces. The Mustangs also tallied 83 digs, led by Jackson (15), Wright (13), and Brooklyn Miller (10). At the net, Mount Mercy finished with three solo blocks and 16 block assists, slowing the Pioneers' high-efficiency hitters.

MidAmerica Nazarene was led by Lowe with 20 kills and Munari with 16. Setter Alex Thomas paced the Pioneers with 35 assists, while libero Emily Mathis registered 33 digs.

The victory marks Mount Mercy's second five-set win of the season and gives the Mustangs their fifth conference triumph. Mount Mercy heads into a road contest at Benedictine College on Sept. 26 in Atchison, Kansas. First serve is set for 7 p.m.