LINDSBORG, Kan. — The Bethany College volleyball team battled through two tightly contested opening sets Tuesday but ultimately fell to Doane University in three sets, 25-23, 26-24, 25-20, in the Swedes’ home opener.
Bethany stayed within striking distance throughout the afternoon, particularly in the first two sets, before Doane closed out the match with a stronger third-set performance. The Swedes finished with 38 kills on 152 attacks while Doane recorded 38 kills on 140 attempts. Doane held the advantage in hitting percentage, .179 to .079.
SET 1: 23-25
Bethany opened the match with one of its strongest offensive performances of the afternoon. The Swedes totaled 13 kills with just four errors on 45 attacks for a .200 hitting percentage. Doane answered with 16 kills and a .289 hitting percentage, allowing the Tigers to edge Bethany 25-23 and take a 1-0 lead.
SET 2: 24-26
The Swedes continued to battle in the second set and pushed Doane beyond the 25-point mark. Bethany produced a match-high 14 kills in the frame but committed nine attacking errors. Doane was held to a .106 hitting percentage in the set, but the Tigers found a way to finish the 26-24 win and move ahead 2-0 in the match.
SET 3: 20-25
Bethany’s offense struggled to find consistency in the third set. The Swedes recorded 11 kills but committed 13 errors on 54 attacks, finishing the frame with a -.037 hitting percentage. Doane took advantage and closed out the match with a 25-20 victory.
Ashlynn Gehring led the Bethany offense with 13 kills while adding a team-high 25 digs and four assists. Antonette Carochi contributed six kills on 16 attacks for a .250 hitting percentage, while Kailyn Jefferson added six kills. Josie McLean finished with five kills, 17 assists, 14 digs and one service ace.
Defensively, Keylian Gomez Quiles collected 19 digs, while Elizabeth Martin added 11 digs and seven assists. Martin, McLean, Jenna Layton and Graci Hanson each recorded a service ace as Bethany finished with four aces as a team.
Bethany totaled 85 digs compared with Doane’s 79 but was outblocked 7-3. The Swedes also finished with 34 assists and four service aces in the three-set match.
