Hastings College Volleyball Wins in 4 Sets Over Flames
(Hastings, NE) – Taking on College of Saint Mary for the second time this season, the Broncos came away with a 4-1 win (25-20, 26-24, 22-25, 25-20) on Wednesday.
Hastings won the first five points of the match, as seniors Ilse Benne and Mikah O'Neill combined for all five kills. Leading 10-3, the Flames were able to get within three at 11-8, but the Broncos grew the lead back to five at 16-11 on a Flames' attacking error. At 18-16, Hastings went on a 7-2 run to close the set, ending with a kill by Benne, set up by sophomore Fran Warson.
O'Neill, Benne, and sophomore Londyn Carnes each had a multiple of kills early in the second set, as the two teams split the first 20 points. Benne hit three kills and an ace in the next six points, putting them up 14-12. With Hastings down 19-17, the Broncos won three straight points to take a 20-19 lead, as senior Madison Navarrete hit a couple of aces.
College of Saint Mary had a couple of set points in set two with a 24-22 lead, but a Flame error, followed by a block by junior Makenna Sutter tied it at 24. Junior Lainey Benson hit an ace to take the lead and a double-block by Sutter and Carnes ended the set at 26-24, as the Broncos ended the set on a 4-0 run.
With College of Saint Mary holding a 9-7 lead in the third, Hastings won eight of the next 10 points to go up 15-11, as Benne had three kills during the stretch. The Flames went on a 7-0 run to go up three, then after Hastings got within one at 21-20, College of Saint Mary won four of the next six points to claim the set, 25-22.
In the fourth set, Hastings took a 9-7 lead on a kill by junior Kaleah Olson. Tied at 11, Hastings took control of the match by winning the next six points, with Sutter and Carnes each getting a kill and a block. Hastings held a comfortable lead the rest of the way, leading by at least four points the rest of the way. Benne had three blocks late in the third to put them up 23-16 and they won their final two points on errors by the Flames, winning the final set, 25-20.
Benne ended with 19 kills and five blocks. Carnes had 14 kills on a .458 hitting percentage and added four kills, while O'Neill added 11 kills. Sutter finished with eight kills, 15 digs, and three blocks. Warson led the team in assists with 47 and also contributed with 15 digs. Benson finished with a team-high 17 digs.
Up next, Hastings (16-5, 8-4), will play at Mount Marty on Saturday, Oct. 24 at 3pm.