Courtesy of Midland Athletics
ST. LOUIS — No. 20-ranked Midland University was back in action Friday at the MBU Invitational, facing a pair of ranked, unbeaten opponents at one of the premier preseason volleyball tournaments in the NAIA. The Warriors opened with a four-set win over No. 19 Missouri Baptist University (17-25, 25-23, 25-14, 25-16), earning their first win of the season. In the second match, they challenged No. 3 Corban University but ultimately fell in straight sets (25-21, 26-24, 25-21).
No. 20 Midland 3, No. 19 Missouri Baptist 1
In the opening match of the day, it took the Warriors some time to find their rhythm. Four straight points by the host Spartans proved too much to overcome, as MBU led wire-to-wire in a 25-17 first-set win. Ten attack errors on Midland’s side compounded the slow start.
Midland bounced back in the second, trading points with Missouri Baptist in a tightly contested frame that featured 11 ties. With the score locked at 21-21, the Warriors pulled away behind kills from Abby Spidle and Brooklynn Snyder, along with two Spartan errors, to win 25-23.
That momentum carried into the third set, where Midland raced to a 7-1 lead and extended it to 14-5. The Warriors dominated the frame, hitting .440 with 13 kills and just two errors, while holding MBU to a .097 mark and six errors. Midland closed out the set 25-14.
Early in the fourth, the teams traded points before Midland used a 7-1 run to take control at 16-7. The Spartans briefly closed the gap to six, but the Warriors held firm and secured the 25-16 win to take the match.
Jaysa Wentzlaff and Brena Mackling ran the offense with 22 and 20 assists, respectively, guiding Midland to a .235 team hitting percentage with 49 kills overall.
Snyder led the team with 11 kills, followed by Abree Plueger with 10. Four more Warriors recorded at least five kills: Avery Couch (7), Lauren Jones (6), and both Spidle and Lauren Williams with 5 each.
On defense, Plueger added 10 digs for her first collegiate double-double, while libero Delainey Cast led the team with 19 digs.
“We came out extremely flat this morning. I told the team after the first set it looked more like they had to be there rather than wanted to be there,” head coach Micah Rhodes said. “Thankfully, the team made the mental switch, controlled the controllables, and started to play aggressively. After we closed out a tight second set, their demeanor changed, and we capitalized.
“We trusted ourselves, took risks from behind the service line, and played relentless defense. That win will be huge for us moving forward, as MoBap is a solid team capable of a deep postseason run.”
No. 3 Corban 3, No. 20 Midland 0
In the second match of the day — a battle of Warriors — No. 3 Corban set the tone early, jumping to an 8-2 lead and holding off Midland for a 25-21 opening-set win. Both teams hit .143 with 13 kills and seven errors, but Corban’s three service aces and Midland’s lone service error made the difference.
The second set remained close, with seven ties up to a 9-9 score. Corban then used an 8-1 run to gain separation, but Midland clawed back to tie it at 22. After two more ties, Corban edged out a 27-25 win in extras.
The third set saw back-and-forth play, with both teams exchanging slim leads. Midland went on a five-point run to take a 20-17 advantage, prompting a Corban timeout. Corban responded with an 8-1 run to close the match and complete the sweep.
“I loved our fight against Corban,” Rhodes said. “They are one of the most physical and well-rounded teams in the country, and we hung with them throughout. It was two or three big runs in each set that were our undoing.
“I told the team in the locker room to keep their heads high and be proud of their body of work this weekend, regardless of the win-loss outcomes. We absolutely got better. We have the ability to be a great team, so we need to stay the course, trust the process, and learn from these experiences. I’m excited to be back on our home court in front of our fans this Tuesday and show them what Midland Volleyball is all about this season.”
Midland (1-3) will host York College (0-2) in its home opener Tuesday, Aug. 26. First serve between the Warriors and Panthers is set for 7:30 p.m. inside the Wikert Events Center in Fremont, Nebraska.
