Manhattan Christian College edged Sterling College in a closely contested five-set match on Friday, Sept. 26 In Sterling, Kan. at the Gleason Center, winning 20-25, 25-23, 25-21, 17-25, 15-13. Sterling recorded 65 kills and 13 blocks, but the Thunder’s 15-13 win in the decisive fifth set secured their victory. Notably, Sterling’s seven service aces contributed to their competitive performance in the match.
Sterling opened the first set against Manhattan Christian with strategic plays. After a brief exchange of points, Sterling gained momentum with successive kills from Chloe Schmidt and Kaira Rodriguez, closing the gap after an early deficit. A significant turning point occurred when a kill by Kodie Herd, followed by a block from Schmidt and Rodriguez, put Sterling in the lead, prompting a timeout by the Thunder with the score at 20-18 in favor of Sterling.
The timeout did not slow Sterling’s momentum as they continued to capitalize on the Thunder’s errors. A service ace from Taylor “Dru” Lindsey and subsequent kills by Herd and Schmidt extended the lead. Sterling closed the first set by capturing the final point with a kill from Schmidt, finishing ahead 25-20.
Sterling opened the second set with a service ace from Kaleigh Guhr, quickly leveling the score at 2-2. Despite a series of errors by both teams, Sterling showed resilience, with key kills by Schmidt and Rodriguez, narrowing the gap and keeping the score close.
Midway through the set, Sterling surged ahead, thanks to consecutive service aces by Guhr, turning a 12-12 tie into a 14-12 lead. However, the Thunder responded with a series of points to regain the lead at 17-14, forcing Sterling into a defensive stance.
As the set drew to a close, Sterling mounted a late rally from 24-19, with Gracie Kirchhoff contributing crucial kills, bringing the score to 24-23. Despite the late push, the Thunder secured the final point, taking the set 25-23.
Sterling faced an uphill battle in the third set against the Thunder. The set began with the Thunder gaining an early advantage, capitalizing on Sterling’s errors and extending the lead to 9-4. Sterling responded with a series of kills from Rodriguez and Aliya McClanahan, narrowing the gap to 16-13, but the Thunder maintained their lead.
Sterling attempted to rally with a strong defensive stand, including a block by Rodriguez and Schmidt, but the Thunder continued to find success offensively. Despite a late push from Sterling, highlighted by consecutive kills from Schmidt, the Thunder closed out the set with a 25-21 victory.
In the fourth set, Sterling started strong with key contributions from McClanahan and Keala Wilson, maintaining a tight contest early on. After an initial point exchange, Sterling gained momentum as McClanahan and Schmidt delivered critical kills, pushing the home team to a slight lead at 10-7.
Sterling’s offense continued to excel with Caitlyn Belote and Rodriguez adding to the scoreboard, widening the gap to 19-13. Following a timeout by the Thunder, Sterling maintained control with precise plays, including a service ace from Wilson. The set concluded with Maddie Lundeen securing the final point, leading Sterling to a 25-17 victory in the fourth set.
Sterling started the fifth set with Belote and McClanahan securing early kills, assisted by Wilson, keeping Sterling competitive despite an initial service error.
The Thunder pulled ahead, capitalizing on a few errors from Sterling, but Sterling responded with a sequence of points, including a crucial block by Wilson and Schmidt that contributed to a short run. Despite a service error, Sterling narrowed the gap to 7-6, prompting a timeout from the visitors.
Wilson and Rodriguez continued to find success offensively, supported by assists from Battershell. Sterling tied the game at 13-13 following another kill by Rodriguez. However, the Thunder regained the lead with consecutive plays to close the set 15-13, concluding the match.
Wilson recorded 41 assists and 28 digs over five sets, making a significant impact in both setting and defense. Schmidt led the team with 17 kills, hitting .286, and added seven block assists to her performance. Lindsey, as libero, collected 18 digs, providing crucial defensive coverage. McClanahan contributed 15 kills and six blocks, demonstrating her dual-threat capabilities on the court.
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