No. 19 Warriors' Season Ends with Gritty Effort Against No. 11 IU Kokomo

SIOUX CITY, Iowa – Facing another challenging opponent in pool play, No. 19 Midland University took on No. 11 Indiana University Kokomo on Thursday evening at the Tyson Events Center. The match served as a rematch for both teams from their season opener. Despite a valiant effort by the Warriors, the Cougars prevailed in four sets (25-22, 25-20, 23-25, 25-21), bringing the 2024 chapter of Midland Volleyball to a close.

"It's not the ending we wanted for our season, but I am extremely proud of this team," commented head coach Paul Giesselmann. "They battled all year long and faced two quality teams here in Sioux City. You have to give a lot of credit to Eastern Oregon and IU Kokomo. They've got great athletes out there on the court, and they put a ton of pressure on you. Up here at the final site, you've got to play at a high level on every point."

Both offenses started strong in the opening set, with the Warriors hitting .174 and the Cougars attacking at a blistering .302 percentage. Kokomo took the first two points and held a slim lead through the early stages. Trailing 6-4, the Warriors sparked a four-point rally to claim their first lead. Claire Johnson started the run, while Abbey Ringler and Jacki Apel added key kills for an 8-6 advantage.

After a side-out, the Cougars pulled even and regained the lead at 13-12. The set saw six ties, with the last coming at 20-20. Kokomo scored back-to-back points late and held off Midland's final push for a 25-22 win.

Brooklynn Snyder led the Warriors in the first set with four kills, while Lauren Williams contributed three.

In the second set, Midland jumped out to a quick 3-0 lead, bolstered by strong defense at the net. Jansky teamed up with Williams for a block and added a solo stop later. However, Kokomo responded with an extended run, seizing an 8-5 advantage and pushing it to 16-8 after a five-point surge. Trailing 21-10, Midland went on a 9-2 run to cut the deficit to 23-19 but couldn't complete the comeback, falling 25-20.

Snyder remained a force with five kills in the set, while Apel added four.

Facing elimination, Midland rose to the challenge in the third set. Snyder and Apel dominated on the attack, with Snyder rattling off four consecutive kills during a six-point rally that gave the Warriors a 14-13 lead.

Late in the set, Ringler tallied two kills sandwiching another from Snyder, pushing Midland to a 22-20 advantage. After two Kokomo miscues brought up set point, Snyder delivered her ninth kill of the set for a 25-23 win. Apel added four kills in the frame, and Johnson chipped in three.

The fourth set was tightly contested early, with the teams trading points. Midland held a 5-3 lead before Kokomo regained control with a four-point run. The Cougars steadily built their lead to 17-13 and eventually reached match point at 24-17. The Warriors delayed the outcome with an ace from Emmalee Sheppard and a block by Williams and Ringler but ultimately fell 25-21.

Apel led the team in the final set with three kills, while Snyder and Johnson each added two. The Warriors hit -.026 in the frame, with eight kills against nine errors.

Snyder, the GPAC Freshman of the Year, capped her stellar first season with 20 kills and a .275 hitting percentage. Apel, a senior, concluded her career with 12 kills and a .179 hitting mark. As a team, Midland hit .145, with setters Brena Mackling (25 assists) and Stella Kuehl (16 assists) orchestrating the attack.

Defensively, senior libero Delanie Vallinch led the back row with 22 digs, finishing her career as Midland's all-time digs leader with 2,037. Mackling and Kailyn Scott each added 10 digs. At the net, the Warriors tallied seven blocks, with Jansky recording two solo blocks and four assists.

"I thought this was a great experience for our younger players. We're really excited about the future of this group," said Giesselmann. "I love that our four seniors, who are great young women, were able to finish their careers at the Tyson Events Center and at the National Championship."

Midland graduates four seniors from the 2024 roster: Jacki Apel, Abbey Ringler, Steph Strobel, and Delanie Vallinch.