Mustangs Come Up Short in Five-Set Battle With the Bobcats

PERU, Neb. — Mount Mercy women's volleyball dropped a tightly contested five-set match to Peru State on Friday evening, 3–2 (25–22, 23–25, 23–25, 26–24, 10–15), in Heart of America Athletic Conference play. The Mustangs fell to 11-8 overall and 6-6 in league competition, while the Bobcats improved to 12–7 and 7–5 in conference.

Mount Mercy posted a .123 hitting percentage across the match, recording 57 kills on 203 total attacks. Peru State hit .144 with 62 kills on 202 attempts. The Mustangs totaled 12 block assists and 8 service aces, while the Bobcats held a slight edge in total points, 81 to 75.

Mary Kate Bendlage led the Mustangs' attack with a team-high 16 kills on 50 swings, finishing with a .180 hitting percentage and 26 digs for a double-double performance. Hallie Bedier followed with 14 kills and 14.5 points, while Alivia Arsenault and Ellie Gerdes each added seven kills. Bella Dantzler contributed six kills and a team-high six block assists at the net.

Setter Maddie Marquardt directed the offense with 27 assists and eight digs, while Delaney Rhoden tallied 26 assists, nine digs, and a service ace. Defensively, Brooklyn Miller anchored the back row with a team-leading 17 digs and two aces. Eryn Jackson and Kate Wright combined for 22 digs as the Mustangs finished with 100 total in the match.

Mount Mercy opened the match with a strong first set, using a 4–0 run late to take a 25–22 decision. Bendlage and Bedier combined for seven kills in the opener, while Rhoden posted 10 assists. The Mustangs limited Peru State to a .109 attack percentage in the frame.

Peru State responded by taking the next two sets, 25–23 and 25–23, behind consistent play from outside hitter Shealie Wiebers, who finished with 18 kills and 24 digs for the Bobcats. Mount Mercy rallied to force a deciding fifth set after edging Peru State 26–24 in the fourth. The Mustangs trailed 24–21 before closing with a 5–0 run fueled by consecutive blocks from Dantzler and Taia Hodgkinson, capped by a service ace from Ellyson.

In the deciding set, the Mustangs took an early 6–5 lead following kills from Bendlage and Gerdes, but Peru State countered with a 5–0 run highlighted by Wiebers and Averie Carollo. Mount Mercy was unable to recover, as the Bobcats closed the match on a 9–4 stretch to seal the victory.

Peru State held a 105–100 advantage in digs and a 20–12 margin in block assists. The Bobcats' balanced offense included 10 kills from Kennedy Miller and Alejandra Villareal, while setter Sami Chesley totaled 29 assists and six block assists.

Mount Mercy will return on the road on Friday, Oct. 17, traveling to Des Moines, Iowa, to face Grand View in another Heart of America matchup. First serve is scheduled for 7 p.m.