Courtesy of Midland Athletics
ST. LOUIS – Midland University volleyball opened its season this weekend with a pair of ranked matchups at the MBU Invitational in St. Louis, Missouri. The No. 20 Warriors faced No. 16 Viterbo University and No. 9 St. Thomas University to start the four-match weekend.
In the opener, Midland won the first set before falling to Viterbo in four (16-25, 25-23, 25-21, 25-18). Later in the day, the Warriors battled St. Thomas but dropped a four-set match (25-14, 25-23, 31-33, 25-23).
No. 16 Viterbo 3, No. 20 Midland 1
Midland started strong with a 25-16 win in the opening set and carried that momentum into the second, jumping out to a 5-0 lead. Viterbo, which had already played two matches, settled in and battled back to tie it at 8-8. From there, the teams traded points through nine more ties, the last at 22-22, before the V-Hawks closed on a 3-1 run to even the match.
Viterbo controlled the third set early, taking a 10-5 lead. Midland rallied to tie it at 11 before the V-Hawks answered with six straight points. They went on to win the set 25-21 to take a 2-1 lead.
In the fourth, Viterbo led from start to finish after scoring the first two points. Midland pulled within three late but couldn’t complete the comeback as the V-Hawks closed out the match 25-18.
Midland outhit Viterbo .255 to .192, led by freshmen Abree Plueger and Brooklynn Snyderwith 19 and 15 kills, respectively. Plueger hit a team-high .593 in her collegiate debut and added seven digs. Snyder contributed eight digs as both played six rotations.
Setters Brena Mackling and Jaysa Wentzlaff shared time running the offense, finishing with 25 and 18 assists, respectively. Mackling also tallied 13 digs. Delainey Cast, in her first season as libero, led the team in digs. At the net, the Warriors posted seven blocks, with Avery Couch recording four and Lauren Jones adding three.
“The first match really emphasized the importance of the serve-and-pass game,” head coach Micah Rhodes said. “Despite having 15 more kills than them, we let Viterbo dominate both sides of first contact. Between service and reception errors, we gave them 26 points. I was disappointed in our mental fortitude after they pushed back and our lack of consistency in things we can control: attitude, effort, and communication.”
No. 9 St. Thomas 3, No. 20 Midland 1
Starting an hour later than scheduled, the Warriors had to regroup after dropping the opening set 25-14. St. Thomas came out strong, hitting .393 in the first while holding Midland to .067.
The second set was tighter despite similar hitting numbers (.062 for Midland, .273 for St. Thomas). The Warriors led 22-18 before the Bobcats closed on a 7-1 run to win 25-23 and take a two-set lead.
Midland responded in the third with its best hitting mark of the day (.444). Plueger and Snyder combined for 12 kills, while Lauren Jones, Lauren Williams, and Couch chipped in multiple kills during the marathon frame. Tied at 31-31, St. Thomas committed two attack errors as Midland closed out the 33-31 win.
The fourth was a back-and-forth battle, with neither team leading by more than three. St. Thomas edged the Warriors 25-23 to seal the match.
Plueger led Midland with 15 kills, followed by Snyder with 11. Jones added eight, and Couch had seven. The Warriors hit .164 as a team compared to St. Thomas’ .286. The Bobcats also posted a 12-7 advantage in blocks.
Defensively, Cast (11 digs) and Snyder (10) reached double figures. Midland recorded 10 aces, led by three each from Plueger and Wentzlaff. Wentzlaff and Mackling split time setting, finishing with 16 and 24 assists, respectively.
“My challenge to the team for the second match was, regardless of the outcome, feel confident leaving everything on the court with no regrets,” Rhodes said. “I wanted them to embrace the battle, which they did, against a legit top-10 team. After being blown out in the first set and letting a late lead slip in the second, we could have folded, especially given our youth. Instead, we kept battling and stayed aggressive. I’m proud of our growth in just a few hours.
“As I always preach, we don’t play for August. This tournament will be huge for us moving forward. We’ll keep trusting the process and approach each match as a growth opportunity.”
Midland (0-2) continues the invitational Friday with two more ranked opponents: host No. 18 Missouri Baptist at 10 a.m. and No. 3 Corban at 1 p.m.
