Courtesy of Midland Athletics
FREMONT, Neb. – Playing for the first time on their home court, No. 20 Midland University hosted York University for a non-conference match inside the Wikert Event Center on Tuesday night. The Warriors shook off early jitters in front of a crowd of more than 1,500 to down the Panthers in straight sets, 26-24, 25-15, 25-11.
York was the early aggressor, jumping out to a quick 5-1 lead before a four-point rally by Midland pushed them in front 9-8, prompting a timeout from the visitors’ bench. That halted the Warriors’ momentum and shifted control back to the Panthers, who went on an 11-4 run and forced Midland to burn both of its timeouts.
Trailing 19-13, the Warriors flipped the switch and took advantage of their prime rotation. Back-to-back kills from Cameran Jansky, making her season debut, were followed by a pair of kills from Abree Plueger. Midland clawed its way to a 22-22 tie and then closed out the set with a 4-2 run. Two of the last three points were mis-hits by the Panthers, with a Plueger kill sandwiched in between for a 26-24 first-set win.
With the opening set in hand, Midland’s offense was in sync to start the second. A 7-2 run staked what proved to be an insurmountable lead as the Warriors doubled up York at 16-8 and again at 22-11. Brooklynn Snyder and Lauren Jones paced the team with five kills each in the set as Midland hit a match-best .364 to go up 2-0. York was limited to just eight kills in the set but managed its best attacking percentage at .179.
On the brink of being swept for the second time this season, York fell behind early in the third. Ace serves from Brena Mackling, Delainey Cast, and Lily Bolden helped the Warriors to a 9-4 lead. After trading a few points, a five-point rally put Midland firmly in the driver’s seat as they cruised to victory. The Warriors closed out the match with an 11-2 run, winning 25-11.
For the match, Midland recorded 10 service aces, half of which came from Bolden. Mackling added two, while Plueger, Cast, and Sydney Guthard each had one.
Offensively, Mackling and Jaysa Wentzlaff guided the Warriors to a .257 hitting percentage with 41 kills and just 13 errors. Plueger (12) and Snyder (10) were the primary weapons, combining for 54 swings on their way to double-digit kills. Jones nearly joined them, tallying nine kills on 13 attempts for a gaudy .615 attack percentage.
Defensively, Cast had a strong night in the back row with 23 digs. At the net, Midland tallied eight blocks as a team, with Snyder and Jansky each recording three block assists.
“It was great for our student-athletes to play in front of a big crowd,” head coach Micah Rhodes said. “We do this [home opener] in conjunction with our recruit night, so it’s great to show everyone how much support we get from our fans, families, and other students on campus. The crowd created energy for us when we weren’t creating our own energy. Shoutout to them.
“Abree is an absolute gamer. She doesn’t always show that in practice, so that’s my challenge to her—to practice the same way you play and compete. She looked fearless and like she was having fun, which is ultimately what we want for our team. To have the ability to be locked in, but also play freely.
“Lily came in tonight and did a great job,” Rhodes added. “She has one of the best serves on the team, and that is what’s really great about this team. We have depth, so if we can squeeze out just a little bit more by subbing someone in and getting a few extra points, we want to do that. It’s really cool to see people step into different roles, even if they are small, and make the most of it.”
Midland (2-3) will look to ride the momentum into a four-match weekend at the nearby CSM Labor Day Classic. The Warriors will face No. 18 College of Idaho and Bethel (Kan.) on Friday, followed by matches with (RV) Benedictine and No. 23 The Master’s on Saturday in Omaha.
