By McPherson College Athletics
PARKVILLE, Mo. (macbulldogs.com) — The McPherson College Bulldogs split the final day of the Park University tournament on Saturday (Aug. 26), knocking off Morningside in a five-set thriller before falling to the sixth-ranked Park Pirates.
Morningside University
The Mustangs got off to a quick start in the opening set, grabbing an 8-4 lead. The Bulldogs tied the score three times, but ultimately fell in the set 25-23.
Another quick start by the Mustangs in the second game gave them a 19-13 advantage. Again, the Bulldogs had an answer as six straight points, including kills by Bridget McHugh and Zoe Fernandez sandwiched around a pair of service aces by Raegin Bromenshenkel, knotted the score at 19. This time, the Bulldogs came out on top, with Katelyn Moore finishing it off.
Morningside mounted another big lead in the third set, leading 16-9, but the Bulldogs explosive offense took over once again, scoring 11 of the next 15 points to tie the score at 21-21. From there, kills by Moore and Bromenshenkel put the Bulldogs on top 2-1 in the match.
The Bulldogs were unable to close out the match in the fourth frame after the Mustangs managed to hang on to their lead to win 25-19. However, in the final set, it was McPherson who got off to a fast start to lead 10-3 before cruising to a 15-7 set win to clinch the match.
Petra Fernandez led the Bulldogs with 17 kills, while Zoe Fernandez had 14 kills and an attacking percentage of .297. Hadley Waldren added 13 kills. Cynarah Rodriguez finished with 42 assists, while Moriah Delgado had a team-high 22 digs.
The Bulldogs finished with ten blocks, with Waldren, Moore, and Zoe Fernandez each tallying a pair of blocks.
Park University
The Pirates flexed their muscles early, mounting a 21-12 edge in the opening set before winning 25-17. The Bulldogs held their own in the second game but were unable to completely close the gap, falling 25-21.
McPherson held a 16-13 advantage in the third set, but three straight points by the Pirates tied the score. Enya Fierens and Waldren gave the Bulldogs the lead twice, but another 3-0 burst by Park made it a 23-20 Pirate lead.
The Bulldogs wouldn’t go down without a fight though, answering with a 3-0 run of their own, including back-to-back kills by Zoe Fernandez to level the score. However, Park closed out the win, scoring the next two to down the Bulldogs 25-23.
Waldren led the Bulldogs with 14 kills and a hitting percentage of .542. Rodriguez finished with 28 assists, while Delgado paced with 22 digs.
The Bulldogs are back in action next weekend at the Bellevue Tournament in Omaha, Neb. They will take on Lindsey Wilson Friday (Sep. 1) at 7:00 p.m., then will square off against Missouri Valley and Grand View on Saturday.
