[Volleyball] Volleyball Falcons Split a pair of Five-Set Matches
WICHITA, Kan. – The Friends University Falcons split two matches that went the distance today (Oct. 5) in their tri-match inside the Garvey Center.
Friends closed the day out in style by storming back to win the final two sets for a 3-2 victory over the Randall University Saints.
With Randall winning the third set 26-24 to go up 2-1 overall, the Falcons managed to claw their way to a dramatic 29-27 win in the fourth set before emphatically finishing the match by hitting a blistering .579 hitting percentage to win 15-11 in the fifth.
A pair of career performances highlighted the Falcons' win, as Jana Boston (SR/Newton, Kan.) poured in the most assists (64) in her star-studded career and Destani Garten (SR/Pratt, Kan. ) produced a career-high 46 digs.
Boston, who recently eclipsed the 4,000 career assist mark, also recorded a career-high 22 digs in the win over the Saints.
Korianna Tullis (SR/Derby, Kan. ) also had 22 digs for Friends and Alyssa Arnold (JR/Goddard, Kan. ) chipped in with 14 digs and Melanie McCormick (SR/Derby, Kan. ) added 12 digs.
Sarah Lazar (SO/Rose Hill, Kan. ) paced the Falcons with 14 kills and Samantha Naake (SR/Woodland, Calif.) had 13 kills. Tiffany Hurd (JR/Gilbert, Ariz.) produced 12 kills, with Abigail Knittel (JR/Ponca City, Okla. ) contributing 10 kills.
The Falcons began the day with a tough 3-2 setback in a KCAC matchup with the McPherson College Bulldogs.
After the Falcons defeated the Bulldogs 25-20 in the fourth to force a decisive fifth set, McPherson used two kills by Sydney Burton to score four straight points and turn a 7-6 deficit into a three-point lead.
Down 12-9, Lazar put in a kill to keep the Falcons close, but the Bulldogs scored three consecutive points to pull out the 15-10 win.
Naake finished with a team-best 21 kills for the Falcons, just one shy of her career-high mark.
Ashleigh Hunter (SR/Andale, Kan.) recorded 12 kills and Lazar added 11 kills for Friends (11-15, 2-1 KCAC). Boston posted what was at the time a season-high 54 assists, while Garten posted the second most digs (32) of her career.
Tullis reached her career-high mark with 29 digs, with Arnold (15), Boston (14) Hurd (13) and McCormick also tallying double-figure digs.
Burton led the Bulldogs with 18 kills and Kaitlyn Heinis had 32 assists. Jamie Siess led everyone with 42 digs for McPherson.
The Falcons will next be in action Wednesday night (Oct. 9) at Tabor College. The match is set for 7 pm in Hillsboro, Kan.