RV Morningside pulls away from Chargers in four sets

SIOUX CITY, Iowa — The Morningside University women's volleyball team found a boost of confidence in Wednesday night's win over Briar Cliff, fueled by its student section.

In a high-energy atmosphere, the RV Mustangs (7-4, 1-0 GPAC) defeated the Chargers in four sets, 25-19, 25-16, 22-25, 25-23.

"That was a really cool atmosphere to be a part of and to see our students come out and cheer us on," sophomore Emma Haren said. "We felt that support from everyone. It was a lot of noise, and that was good for us to work through so we can practice communication."

Morningside jumped to a 3-0 lead in the first set and, despite a pair of Briar Cliff rallies, pulled away with a seven-point run to close it out. In Set 2, the Mustangs hit .324 (16-for-34) with only five errors to take control.

The Chargers answered in the third, forcing Morningside to regroup. Head coach Jessica Squier credited serve receive for steadying the Mustangs.

"We talked a lot about attacking the middle of the court," Squier said. "That'll make the middle blocker think a little bit more. At the end of the day, we need to be capable of finishing three sets. We're letting the serve and ball control game control things in Set 3."

In the fourth, Morningside started ahead 6-1 before Briar Cliff rallied to lead by as many as three. With the score tied at 22, the Mustangs closed on a 3-1 run, capped by back-to-back kills from Haren.

"We definitely needed to be very composed," Haren said. "That's something that will help us. This will be something we can learn from."

Haren led all players with 15 kills and 20 digs. Payten Lode added 13 kills, and Victoria Bouska finished with 10. Setter Kyla Dyrstad totaled 48 assists and four aces. Defensively, Aubrey Sandbothe posted 19 digs, and Lode added 17 for a double-double.

Even in victory, Squier said the night brought perspective.

"This atmosphere was awesome, and we don't like to be tested, but this is the type of experience we want because it makes us learn about ourselves," Squier said.

The Mustangs play at home at 3 p.m. Saturday to face Waldorf.