Sioux City, Iowa – With a trip to the NAIA National Quarterfinal on the line, the Bulldogs went toe to toe with the University of Cumberlands Patriots. Cumberlands, coming into this matchup with an undefeated record on the year, had defeated Midland University the day prior in their first match of the tournament, meaning there would be no tiebreaker to decide this pool.
The Basics
Location: Tyson Event Center
Records: MC 34-2, UC 36-1
Score: MC 3, UC 2
How it Happened
Cumberlands lived up very well to their undefeated record, maintaining a conversion rate of .261 on their swings in the opening set. Through early stages of the first set, McPherson held the lead after staring the match with consecutive kills from Katie Warden and Kaylee Stegora both assisted by Roxana Varela Parra. The Patriots took their first lead of the match at 10-9 after Brooke McHale was blocked by Cumberlands’ Elaina Fischer and Kara Gipson. The Patriots would maintain their lead and eventually grow it to the largest margin of the game at 21-18, forcing a Cory Cahill Timeout from the Bulldogs. The timeout was used effectively as McPherson went on a 4-1 run to level the set at 22-22, forcing Cumberlands to regroup with their first timeout.
Just like Day One in the tournament, this one started with extra rallies. On a 25-24 set point for the Bulldogs, Enya Fierens attack was called out of play. Upon further review following a Cory Cahill challenge, there was a touch from the Patriots. The Bulldogs took the massive opening set victory 26-24.
Following an exciting opening to this matchup, we’d get to do it all again in set two. The Patriots began with the lead this time and had a much more dominant outing in this one. Treading with a hit rate above .300 for majority of the set, Cumberlands built up a large lead that McPherson trailed behind for some time. At the point of 20-14 in favor of the Patriots, Cahill had used both timeouts at this point but another successful challenge from the Bulldogs got McPherson to within four points. After yet another kill from Fierens to cut the lead to 20-18, Cumberlands used their first timeout. Despite the Bulldogs’ efforts, the Patriots ran off in the set to win 25-20 to level the match at 1-1.
McPherson hadn’t dropped a set since their loss to Oklahoma Wesleyan in the KCAC Tournament several weeks prior. Set three showcased McPherson’s ability to bounce back, starting off with a 6-1 lead and holding onto that lead for a large portion of the frame. Enya Fierens was quite a player to watch, already with 14 kills with the Bulldogs in the lead at 20-19. Not just was it her ability to hit the ball, but here and Logan Hamilton combined for seven blocks and held down the fort at the tape. The Bulldogs held strong in closing stages of the set and Fierens’ 16th kill of the match gave McPherson the 25-22 victory.
Cumberlands fired right back in their search for a fifth set as the Bulldogs trailed behind for majority of the set aside from the opening kill from Logan Hamilton off the assist of Tabor Scanlon. The Patriots grew their lead and had all the momentum, taking the eventual 25-17 victory to push for extra volleyball in set five.
Quite simply, the Bulldogs put together an unbelievable set five and rolled onto victory. McPherson strutted to a 10-4 massive lead and capitalized in the crucial moments they needed to. It’d be none other than Fierens ending the match on her 25th kill of the match for the 3-2 victory, allowing for McPherson to advance to the NAIA Quarterfinal for the first time in program history.
Up Next
The Bulldogs will face the top ranked team in the country, Eastern Oregon University in the NAIA Quarterfinal round tomorrow in the Tyson Event Center.
