Vikings Lose Five-Set Thriller at Culver-Stockton

Women’s Volleyball | Tue, Sep. 6, 2022 at 9:45 PM

Canton, MO – The Grand View women’s volleyball team was back in action on Tuesday night for a road conference matchup against Culver-Stockton College. The Vikings got out to an early two-set lead, but a comeback from the Wildcats saw them fall in five sets, 25-20, 25-21, 24-26, 24-26 and 14-16.

Set 1: Grand View University 25 l Culver-Stockton College 20

Grand View and Culver-Stockton found themselves even early in the set with the score knotted at 5-5, but a 4-0 scoring streak, featuring kills from Ellie Dougherty (FR/Omaha, NE) and Taylor Carey (SR/Waukee, IA), pushed the Vikings to a 9-5 advantage. The Wildcats responded with a scoring run of their own and took over the lead through the middle stages at the 14-17 mark. The momentum and the lead shifted back to Grand View due to a huge 5-0 scoring streak, sparked by back-to-back aces from Alesha Johnson (JR/Council Bluffs, IA), with the score at 20-19. The Vikings were able to hold off the Wildcats and closed out the set by scoring the final three points.

Set 2: Grand View University 25 l Culver-Stockton College 21

The second set started out shaky for Grand View as it fell behind 2-7. Slowly the Vikings chipped away at the Culver-Stockton lead and eventually went ahead 11-9 after some miscues by the Wildcats. The next few points would be traded until the two teams drew even at 17-17. A 3-0 scoring run by Grand View in the closing stages gave the Vikings the boost they needed and helped secure the second set.

Set 3: Grand View University 24 l Culver-Stockton College 26

In the third set, Grand View claimed an early 6-2 lead after a kill by Sydney Beasley (SO/Darlington, WI). But just as the Vikings did to the Wildcats in the second set, the lead would slowly be chipped away by Culver-Stockton. Throughout the middle stages, Grand View and Culver-Stockton matched each other point-for-point with neither side gaining more than a one-point advantage. That changed, however, with the score locked at 24-24 as Culver-Stockton scored on back-to-back kills to win its first set of the night.

Set 4: Grand View University 24 l Culver-Stockton College 26

Grand View found itself in some trouble to start the fourth set as the Wildcats, after finding some momentum with the last set victory, jumped out to a big lead, 5-18. The Vikings then dug deep and displayed their resiliency by staging a comeback to pull within one at 21-22 mark….