SIOUX CITY, Iowa – For the second straight day, the Morningside University women’s volleyball team played a five-set match. Saturday’s outcome went the way of the Mustangs.
The Mustangs (13-5, 1-2) defeated Great Plains Athletic Conference newcomer Waldorf by set scores of 25-21, 15-15, 26-24, 14-25 and 15-7 at Allee Gymnasium.
The win was the first for the Mustangs in conference play, and the first home win of the 2024-25 season.
“It feels good to get that first win in conference, for sure,” said Mustangs head coach Jessica Squier. “This is something we can really build upon.”
Claire Wilson and Jacey Miller started out the day by helping Mornigside jump out to a 3-0 lead in the first set. Its biggest lead in the opening set was six, when the M’side led 13-7 after a Wilson kill.
Wilson had a kill that later made the set score 24-21, and the set was clinched after a Warriors attack error.
Set No. 3 was back-and-forth, as neither team had a rally longer than three. Morningside hit .238 in the frame, and had 18 kills, which was a match-high among the five sets. Emma Haren and Sydney Marlow broke a 24-24 tie with consecutive kills.
The Mustangs took control in the fifth set, getting out to a 3-0 start. Miller had a service ace that got the Mustangs a 2-0 start, then an Adelyn Harris kill made it 4-1.
At the end, the Mustangs went on a 4-0 run. Harris had two kills, Miller had an ace, and the Mustangs forced Waldorf to make an error.
“In the end, I thought our team had the determination to win,” Squier said. “I think our girls learned that they need to follow what we’re doing in practice on a daily basis.”
Wilson led the Mustangs with 14 kills, while Haren had 12 in four sets played, and Harris had 10. Marlow and Nienke van Drunen each had nine off the bench.
Kyla Dyrstad and Aleksandra Dalach were the top two setters with 16 and 15 assists.
Five different Mustangs had double-digit digs: Aureana Bernales (21), Emerson Smith (19), Miller (15), Dyrstad and Dalach with 11.
Harris had the lone solo block, while she assisted in five blocks. Wilson and Smith had four blocks assisted.
Morningside will spend the rest of the month away from Allee Gymnasium. On Wednesday, the Mustangs will be at Dakota Wesleyan, then on Sept. 25, they’ll go across town to face Briar Cliff. On Sept. 28, Morningside will face Hastings in Hastings, Neb.
