Volleyball Comes Back From 2-0 Deficit to Upset No. 10 CSM
Hastings, NE - It you wanted to see a team fight off some unbelievable adversity, it was the Hastings College volleyball team that did just that in amazing fashion in its 19-25, 16-25, 25-22, 25-23, 17-15 come-from-behind upset of No. 10 College of Saint Mary on Wednesday night.
This game certainly had it all from seeing your best player leave the game early due to injury to having another freshman step up to make an immediate impact due to another lost starter. All that packed into a game where the No. 10 team in the country took an easy 2-0 lead where Hastings was hitting in the negative.
Earlier in the year when faced with the same outcome, the Lady Broncos had seen set three get away from them and on Wednesday night, CSM had HC on the ropes up 19-14 but the magic was just beginning to take effect.
Head Coach Alexandra Allard was hoping some new and younger faces were going to step up and did they ever especially in a spot where it was needed most.
Sydney Mullin (SR/North Platte, NE) got things going with a kill off the Makenna Asher (SO/Hastings, NE) assist followed by a CSM error and another Mullin kill made it 19-17. The Flames countered with a kill from Elizabeth Dlouhy to make it 20-17.
Hastings countered with true freshman Dacey Sealey (FR/Hastings, NE) for the kill and then back-to-back attack errors by CSM tied things up. Another true freshman Ava Lovitt (FR/Beatrice, NE) picked up a key service ace and gave the lead to Hastings at 21-20 forcing a timeout by CSM.
The timeout didn't work as Mullin picked up a solo block as the crowd began to sense something big could be on the horizon. Following a Rachel Rosenquist kill for CSM to make it 22-21, Mullin dropped the hammer and so did Miriam Miller (FR/Lincoln, NE) to make it set point and two points later, Acelyn Klein (FR/Curtis, NE) teamed up with Miller for the double block as HC was right back in it with the 25-22 set three victory.
Set four was tight as Hastings clung to an 18-17 lead when Jaisee Stinson (JR/Omaha, NE) found Miller on the outside for a kill and the two point lead. Then Klein and Miller teamed up again for a double block forcing a Flames timeout.
CSM would keep it close but with Hastings leading 22-21, Asher connected with true freshman Haylee Sandman (FR/Wauneta, NE) for the kill to make it 23-21. Hastings then had set point after a Kamryn Willman attack error at 24-21.
The Flames kept it interesting and closed to within one at 24-23 but Sandman didn't want her varsity debut to end as she slammed home the kill to even things up 2-2.
Set five, wow set five gave the fans all they could have asked for in a match which of course had to include some controversey.
Neither team could work its way into a comfortable position but the Flames seemed to grasp it at the end and held a 14-12 lead but wouldn't you know it, Sandman just didn't want this to end as she picked up another kill to make it 14-13. CSM's Rosenquist attack then went long and sent the crowd in to a tizzy as things were tied up 14-14.
The Flames came right back with a Rosa Reed-Bouley kill to again set up match point at 15-14. Stinson looked to Asher for the kill but it appeared to go long as Asher was certain there was a tip on the play but the line judge did not agree. It happened to be the down ref that made the call of a tip on the attack which gave the point to the Lady Broncos and instead of game over, Hastings had new life.
Another Rosenquist attack error set up match point for Hastings and why not let Miller hammer one home as the crowd went nuts as Hastings won set five 17-15.
It was a Freshman kind of night as Miller finished with a double-double with a career high 17 kills while hitting .270 to go along with 17 digs. Sandman also finshed with a career high 10 kills. Lovitt finished with three service aces.
Asher also finished with a double-double with season high 33 assists to go along with her 14 digs.
Hastings improves to 12-7 (3-4) on the year and will be back in action Friday Oct. 1 hitting the road to take on Mount Marty with first serve at 7:30 pm in Yankton, SD.
