McPherson, Kan. – The Bulldogs hosted the Texas Wesleyan University Rams on Saturday in the Opening Round of the NAIA Tournament, looking to punch their ticket to Sioux City after falling short in the KCAC Tournament. Texas Wesleyan entered with the same goal, coming off a loss in the SAC Championship.
The Basics
Location: Holman Fieldhouse
Score: MC 3, TWU 0
Records: MC (32-2), TWU 25-8
How it Happened
Texas Wesleyan took an early 6-2 lead to open set one, but McPherson quickly responded, grabbing a one-point edge behind back-to-back blocks from Enya Fierens. The teams traded points before the Bulldogs capitalized on a string of Ram errors to build a four-point cushion, forcing a Texas Wesleyan timeout. The Rams trimmed the deficit to one out of the break, but McPherson never surrendered the lead down the stretch, closing out a 25-22 win in set one.
McPherson found its rhythm early in the second set, racing out to a 9-3 lead and prompting another timeout out of Texas Wesleyan. The pause did little to slow the Bulldogs’ momentum, as their offense continued to fire on all cylinders and stretched the lead to 11. The Rams couldn’t make a dent in the margin, with McPherson matching them point for point. Tabor Scanlon sealed the set with a crafty dump over the net that caught Texas Wesleyan on its heels, securing a 25-13 victory and a 2-0 match lead.
In set three, Brooke McHale put down the opening point for the Bulldogs, but the Rams answered by scoring four of the next five to go up 4-2. McPherson briefly regained the lead before Texas Wesleyan rattled off four straight points to take an 8-5 advantage. The Bulldogs steadily chipped away, tying the set at 12 thanks to a McHale kill, a McHale ace, and a block by April Conilogue. Following a Texas Wesleyan timeout, McPherson surged again, scoring seven of the next nine points to put the set firmly in their control. The Bulldogs closed out a 25-17 win in set three to complete the sweep and secure their spot in Sioux City.
Up Next
McPherson heads to Sioux City, Iowa, on December 3rd for their first matchup in pool play at the NAIA National Championship. The Bulldogs will face No. 17 Midland University, with first serve scheduled for 1:00 PM.
