Volleyball Outlasts Dakota Wesleyan in Comeback Victory
(Hastings, NE) – The Hastings Broncos put together some big points when they needed them the most, rallying from 2-1 set deficit to beat Dakota Wesleyan 3-2 (14-25, 25-11, 21-25, 25-13, 15-12).
| Final | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | T |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
|
25 | 11 | 25 | 13 | 12 | 2 |
|
|
14 | 25 | 21 | 25 | 15 | 3 |
Team Stats
Dakota Wesleyan (SD)
| Game Statistics | Dakota Wesleyan (SD) | Hastings |
|---|---|---|
| Hitting % | .181 | .237 |
| Blocks | 11.0 | 12.0 |
| Digs | 96 | 111 |
| Aces | 2 | 7 |
(Hastings, NE) – The Hastings Broncos put together some big points when they needed them the most, rallying from 2-1 set deficit to beat Dakota Wesleyan 3-2 (14-25, 25-11, 21-25, 25-13, 15-12). During the win, senior Miriam Miller also moved into sixth place on Hastings' all-time digs leaderboard, achieving the feat midway through the first set.
In the first period with the set tied at five, the Tigers won 20 of the next 29 points to take the first set, using their .357 hitting percentage to cause 11 Bronco errors.
Hastings turned it around in a big way in the second set, converting 19 kills on 40 attacks for a .425 hitting percentage. They raced out to an 11-4 lead and took that momentum all the way through the set, winning 25-11. In the set, junior Kaitlin Thiebauth had five kills, as did senior Majesta Valasek, including on each of the first three points of the set. Junior Alexis Pontine had 14 digs in the set as well.
The Tigers grabbed the momentum back in the third set, as they built a 12-8 lead. They took four of the next five points to grow their lead to 16-8, and while Hastings eventually cut the lead to 24-20, the Tigers held on to take the third set 25-20.
In set four, the Broncos won the first four points, including a couple of kills and a block from Valasek. Hastings continued to build their lead in their 18-kill set in which they hit .356. They led the set by as much as 12, including the set score of 25-13. Freshman Makenna Sutter led the way with seven kills and five from Valasek in the set, along with 13 assists from Pontine.
In the fifth and decisive set, Dakota Wesleyan seemed to have the upper hand, leading 8-4. Hastings evened the set at eight with a kill from freshman Mikah O'Neill, two kills from Thiebauth, and an ace from O'Neill. While the Tigers would pull ahead again to 12-10, Hastings won the next three points to force a timeout. The break did not do the Tigers any favors, as O'Neill had a kill on a long point after the timeout, then O'Neill and freshman Londyn Carnes, who had a team-high five blocks, combined for the game-winning block to take the final set 15-12.
For the match, Valasek had the most kills with 23, along with 16 from Thiebauth and 14 apiece from Sutter and O'Neill. Coming off her third GPAC Setter of the Week, Pontine continued her great play with season-best 64 assists. Miller, who is now 11 digs behind fifth place in Bronco history, led the team with 35 digs.
Up next, Hastings will host Waldorf at 3pm on Saturday, October 12 at Lynn Farrell Arena.
