No. 18 Warriors Win Hard-Fought Five-Set Battle with Morningside

FREMONT, Neb. – No. 18-ranked Midland University battled through a five-set thriller on Friday night, defeating Morningside University in a Great Plains Athletic Conference (GPAC) matchup. The Warriors overcame a tough Mustangs squad (29-27, 23-25, 25-22, 16-25, 15-12) to keep pace in the conference standings. The victory improves Midland's record to 11-8 (7-2 GPAC), while Morningside drops to 17-7 (5-4 GPAC).

It was a hard-fought battle in the opening set, with both teams going toe-to-toe. They traded sustained rallies, tying the score 14 different times. The final tie came at 27-27, as the Mustangs fended off a set-point attempt from the Warriors, who had previously saved two set points. A kill by Abbey Ringler gave Midland a 28-27 lead, and a block from Ringler and Lauren Jones sealed the set, 29-27. Midland hit .133 with 15 kills and 9 errors, while Morningside hit .085 with 14 kills and 10 errors.

In the second set, the Warriors jumped out to an early 8-3 lead, forcing a timeout. The break allowed Morningside to chip away at the deficit, and they closed within a point twice before tying the set at 21-21, prompting a timeout from Midland. After another point from Morningside, Midland took its second timeout and managed to score back-to-back points to regain the lead at 23-22. However, Morningside rallied once more, taking three straight points to win the set 25-23, evening the match at one set apiece.

The Warriors opened the third set with a three-point rally but quickly surrendered five straight points to the Mustangs. Both teams exchanged short rallies, with neither side able to pull away. Midland put together a six-point run, which was nearly matched by a five-point swing from Morningside. As the set progressed, the score was tied at 20-20. A pair of points from the Warriors shifted momentum, and they held off a final push from the Mustangs to secure a 25-22 win.

Morningside came out strong in the fourth set, determined to force a deciding fifth. The Mustangs seemed a step ahead of the Warriors, quickly going on a 3-0 run, which grew into a 9-5 lead and later a 13-7 advantage. Midland tried to halt Morningside's momentum but couldn't sustain a rally. The Mustangs extended their lead from 14-10 to a commanding 24-13. Despite the deficit, Midland fought back with three consecutive points, forcing a late timeout from Morningside. The stoppage ended the Warriors' comeback, and Morningside took the set 25-16 to even the match.

In the decisive fifth set, Morningside grabbed a quick 4-2 lead, but Midland responded with a five-point run to take control. After exchanging points, the teams switched sides with the Warriors leading 8-5. Morningside chipped away at the lead, eventually tying the score at 12-12. A key block from Cameran Jansky and Jacki Apel put Midland ahead, followed by a service ace from Sydney Guthard. Apel then closed the match with a kill, giving the Warriors a 15-12 win. Midland posted its best hitting percentage of the night in the final set, hitting .292.

Both teams struggled offensively throughout the match. Midland hit .087 overall, while Morningside hit .088. The Warriors tallied 15 total blocks, while the Mustangs finished with 17.

Brooklynn Snyder led Midland's attack with 19 kills, followed closely by Jacki Apel with 14. Apel also added two solo blocks and three block assists. Cameran Jansky, Abbey Ringler, and Lauren Jones each contributed six blocks.

In the back row, Delanie Vallinch paced the Warriors with 25 digs, while Kailyn Scott and Delainey Cast chipped in defensively. Brena Mackling and Stella Kuehl split time at setter, with Mackling finishing with 27 assists and Kuehl close behind with 26.

"Credit to Morningside. That is a good team and the fans got a treat tonight with the five-setter," commented head coach Paul Giesselmann. "We made some mistakes early in the match and during our timeouts, I kept reminding the players to trust their training. You have to have the mindset that every rally is going to be a long one. Every point is a tough point. Stay disciplined and trust it.

"We started executing better. We started to cut down on the dumb mistakes. We'd work hard and get a side out after giving up a run and then we'd miss a serve or make bad hitting errors. Once we were able to settle in, we played good volleyball."

Midland (11-8, 7-2 GPAC) will have a quick turnaround as it hosts Briar Cliff (6-15, 0-9 GPAC) on Saturday afternoon. The teams as set for a 3:00 p.m. first serve inside the Wikert Event Center in Fremont.