Wichita, Kan. – McPherson traveled to Wichita, Kansas on Saturday to face off against the Friends University Falcons. The Bulldogs looked to remain perfect in conference play and extend their win streak to 25, while the Falcons aimed to flip the script after three straight conference losses.
The Basics
Location: Garvey Center
Score: MC 3, FU 0
Records: MC 28-1 (KCAC 11-0), FU 18-11 (KCAC 3-8)
How it Happened
The Bulldogs grabbed the first point of the opening set thanks to a Falcon service error. The teams traded points early, staying even through the next thirteen rallies before McPherson built a two-point lead following a Friends attack error and a kill by Katie Warden, prompting a Falcon timeout. Out of the break, a kill from Tori Buss sparked a dominant 13-0 run that pushed the Bulldogs ahead 19-7 lead, and forced Falcons to use their final timeout of the set. The Falcons tried to chip away at the deficit late, but McPherson stayed in control, closing out the set 25-12 on a service ace from Enya Fierens.
Friends took the lead to open the second set, but the score stayed tight through the opening points. Trailing 9-8, the Bulldogs responded with four unanswered points to go up 12-9. Friends trimmed the deficit to one, but a pair of kills from Brooke McHale and another from Kaylee Stegora helped McPherson restore their lead. The Falcons couldn’t find a way to close the gap, and the Bulldogs secured the set 25-18 to take a 2-0 lead in the match.
Set three started with McPherson racing to a 6-1 lead, fueled by three early kills from McHale after Friends scored the opening point. The Bulldogs held steady as the Falcons tried to rally, forcing Friends to burn both timeouts early. Despite a pair of three-point runs that brought the Falcons back within three, McPherson closed the door late, with Katie Warden delivering back-to-back kills to clinch the 25-20 win and complete the sweep.
Katie Warden led the Bulldogs offense with 15 kills and two blocks, while Brooke McHale put together an all-around performance, finishing with nine kills, three aces, and 15 digs.
Up Next
The Bulldogs will be on the road again as they head to Hillsboro, Kansas to go up against Tabor College on Wednesday night. First serve is set for 7:00 PM.
