Shorthanded Broncos Pick Up Saturday Split

North Sioux City, SD - The Hastings College volleyball team was looking for some youngsters to step with the absence of Ireland Currey (SR/Lincoln, NE) and Emily Krolikowski (SR/Cairo, NE). HC would work a split on Saturday at the CSM Labor Day Classic falling to No. 21 Grand View 25-17, 25-20, 25-14 before defeating Benedictine 24-26, 29-27, 25-23, 25-21.

In the first game against the Vikings, Hastings struggled to slow up the Grand View offense as the Vikings hit .400 or better in all three sets. Hastings countered by hitting .304 in set one and .280 in set two but it just wasn't enough.

Grace Branson (FR/Lawrence, KS) led the way with seven kills while hitting .385 while Amani Monroe (SR/Colorado Springs, CO) also finished with seven kills hitting .294.

In the second match against Benedictine, the Ravens and Lady Broncos were locked in a very tight battle. The Ravens had set point at 24-21 but HC was not going away as a service error made it 24-22. Then a double block from Sydney Mullin (SR/North Platte, NE) and Branson made it 24-23 and a kill from Mulling tied the set 24-24. But Benedictine would get kills from Maggie Schoening and Joslyn Lewis to take the first set 26-24.

In the second set, the two teams went point for point all the way to a 27-27 tie. Makenna Asher (SO/Hastings, NE) tne connected with Mullin for the kill and then Asher and Mullin pick up the double block to end the crazy back-and-forth to win set two 29-27.

Set three it was Benedictine that looked to take a two sets to one lead holding a 23-19 lead before Hastings started to roll. An attack error by Regan Bruggeman followed by a Miriam Miller (FR/Lincoln, NE) and Mullin block and then another Lewis attack error made it 23-22.

Jaisee Stinson (JR/Omaha, NE) then connected with Mullin for the big time kill to tie things up forcing a Raven timeout. Coming out of the timeout, Stinson connected with Miller for the kill setting up set point for Hastings. The Lady Broncos would take the set after another Bruggeman attack error and go up 2-1 in the match.

Set three was tied 15-15 when Asher connected with Dacey Sealey (FR/Hastings, NE) for a kill and the one point lead. Hastings then stretched the lead to three on back-to-back attack errors by the Ravens.

Hastings would hold on to that lead at 22-20 when Miller picked up another kill followed by another Bruggeman attack error setting up match point at 24-20. After a Bruggeman kill, Sealey sealed the deal with a kill as Hastings won the fourth set 25-21.

Miller finished with a career high 14 kills while hitting .333. Sealey also finished with a career high 11 kills while hitting a career best .478. Asher and Mullin added 10 kills each. Asher finished with a triple-double 10 kills, 29 assists and 15 digs. Stinson finished with a double-double 20 assists and 12 digs. Miller and Sealey also had double-doubles. Ava Lovitt (FR/Beatrice, NE) finished with a career high five service aces.

Hastings moves to 10-3 (1-0) on the year and will be back in action Wednesday Sept. 8 hitting the road to take on No. 23 College of Saint Mary with first serve set for 7:30 p.m. in Omaha, NE