Volleyball Goes Undefeated in Denver
Denver, Colo.- Four matches, four wins for the Hastings College volleyball team. In day two action of the Johnson & Wales Tournament on Saturday, Hastings beat the University of Providence (Mont.) in four sets (25-19, 25-21, 21-25, 25-21) and Embry-Riddle Aeronautical (Ariz.) University in straight sets (25-20, 25-13, 25-11).
In set one against the University of Providence, the Lady Broncos (4-0) found themselves trailing the Argos (4-2) 9-4 early in the set, but Hastings went on a 10-2 run with kills by Catherine Williams (SR/Aurora, CO), Lucy Skoch (FR/Hastings, NE), Jill Bax (SR/Lincoln, NE), Casey Krolikowski (JR/Cairo, NE), and a service ace by Clare Hamburger (JR/Hastings, NE) to take a 14-11 lead over the Argos. With the score tied at 15, Hastings went on one more run, going 8-1 to take a 23-16 lead and eventually winning the first set 25-19.
Set two was a back-and-forth battle between the Lady Broncos and Argos before Hastings went on a 10-3 run late off kills by Katie Placke (SR/Grand Island, NE), Cassidy Ostrand (SO/Central City, NE), Williams, Krolikowski, and service aces by Placke and Ally Ginkens (SO/Mullen, NE) to take a sizeable 23-17 lead over the Argos en route to a 25-21 set two win.
A kill by Andrea LaVene (SR/Roca, NE) and service ace by Emily Filsinger (SR/Clearwater, NE) started a set three 5-1 run for the Lady Broncos, but the Argos answered back later in the set with a 9-2 run to get a late 22-17 lead that led to an Argos 25-21 set three win.
Early in set four, the Lady Broncos went on a 6-1 run with kills by Placke, Williams, Ostrand, and a service ace by Placke to put themselves ahead 7-4 lead over the Argos. Late in the set, Hastings led 21-20, and a 4-1 run sealed the deal for the Lady Broncos, who won the set 25-21 and the match 3-1.
Placke led the team with 21 assists and 15 kills, with Williams also tallying 14 kills. Bax led the team 26 digs.
In their afternoon matchup against Embry-Riddle, the Lady Broncos trailed the Eagles (3-2) 15-11 in set one, but the Lady Broncos finished the set on a 14-5 run to take a 1-0 set lead.
The Lady Broncos used their momentum from set one to take an early 11-4 lead in set two. Another 7-2 run put Hastings ahead 21-10 late in the set. Kills by Elise Baumann (FR/Omaha, NE) and Placke clinched set two for the Lady Broncos.
Set three was an offensive surge for the Lady Broncos, as Hastings started on a 15-4 run off nine kills, a Krolikowski service ace, and five Eagles errors. The Lady Broncos did not let off the gas pedal, taking the set 25-11. Hastings had a hitting percentage of .333 in set three compared to the Eagles' -.108.
The Broncos continue action on Friday when they take on the (RV) Oklahoma City University Stars at 3 p.m. as part of the Bill Marshall Volleyball Classic at the Heartland Events Center in Grand Island.
