McPherson College, currently ranked no. 8 in the NAIA for volleyball, swept Sterling College 25-14, 25-19, 25-11 on Wednesday, Spet. 24 in McPherson, Kan. The Bulldogs dominated the match with a .207 hitting percentage compared to Sterling’s -.023. The home team also excelled in serving, recording 11 aces to Sterling’s three.
McPherson initially took the lead in the first set, with Sterling briefly tying the score at 1-1 due to an attack error by McPherson’s Enya Fierens. Despite an early back-and-forth, the Bulldogs pulled ahead with a series of successful plays, creating a 9-2 advantage that prompted a Sterling timeout.
Sterling managed several key points following the break, including a kill by Chloe Schmidt and a service ace by Kaleigh Guhr, narrowing the gap to 18-11. However, McPherson maintained momentum through effective plays and errors by Sterling, closing the first set 25-14.
Sterling began the second set with momentum, as Keala Wilson‘s service ace and Aliya McClanahan‘s kill established an early lead. The team kept the Bulldogs at bay through a series of blocks and attacks, with McClanahan continuing to deliver key points. Sterling’s defensive efforts included a block by Wilson and Schmidt, maintaining pressure on McPherson.
Midway through the second set, McPherson shifted momentum with a scoring run, capitalizing on service aces and attack errors from Sterling to take the lead. Despite a timeout, McPherson’s consistency allowed them to extend their advantage. Sterling attempted a late push with contributions from Gracie Kirchhoff and McClanahan, but McPherson’s consistent play secured a 25-19 win in the second set.
The third set began with McPherson gaining an early advantage as Sterling struggled to find their footing. Despite a timeout called by Sterling, the Bulldogs continued to extend their lead to 7-0 before Wilson connected on a kill to get Sterling on the board. Sterling managed to string together a series of defensive blocks by Wilson and Schmidt, closing the gap to 16-9. However, McPherson regained control, capitalizing on Sterling errors and pushing the score to 21-9.
Sterling fought back with a kill from Schmidt and later from Kodie Herd, but the Bulldogs’ consistent offensive pressure proved challenging to overcome. McPherson closed the third set with a kill by Katie Warden, taking the set 25-11.
Wilson contributed significantly with four kills, 13 assists, and eight digs, tallying seven points in the match. Schmidt led the defensive effort by amassing five total blocks while McClanahan added six kills and two solo blocks, finishing with 8.5 points. Grace Battershell facilitated the offense, recording six assists and seven digs.
With the loss Sterling moves to 9-4 on the season, 0-2 in conference play. The Lady Warriors will be back in action at home on Friday, Sept. 26 against Manhattan Christian (12-1). These two teams met earlier in the season at the Thunder Invitational with Manhattan coming away with a 3-1 victory. Sterling will look to return the favor on their home court.
Be sure to check for news and updates on Sterling Warrior Athletics on Facebook (/SCWarriors), Twitter (@SterlingCSports), and Instagram (sterlingcsports), as well as the hashtag #SwordsUp. Watch the Warriors’ live home events on the Sterling College Sports Network.
