BLUE DRAGON VOLLEYBALL SPLITS ON DAY 2 IN WEST PLAINS

Page Hiebert had 20 kills against Tyler and 14 against MSU-West Plains in a 1-1 day for the Blue Dragons at the Grizzly Invitational. (Allie Schweizer/Blue Dragon Sports Information)

Posted: Oct 14, 2017

HutchCC Sports Information

WEST PLAINS, Mo – The Hutchinson Community College Volleyball Team nearly pulled off a huge comeback and then closed out the Grizzly Invitational on Saturday with an impressive sweep of the tournament host to finish the weekend 2-2.

Hutchinson trailed No. 20 Tyler by two sets and forced a fifth with a match point in hand, but the Apaches avenged an earlier loss to the Blue Dragons this season with a 25-18, 25-21, 21-25, 24-26, 16-14 victory over Hutch in the first match on Saturday. The Dragons then defeated Missouri State-West Plains 25-22, 25-19, 25-21 in the final match of the tournament at the West Plains Civic Center.

The Blue Dragons improve to 21-11 overall as Hutchinson returns to Jayhawk West play on Monday at Dodge City in a 6:30 p.m. contest.

WEST PLAINS RECAP
After winning the first two sets against the Grizzlies, the Blue Dragons trailed 18-14 in the third set. Freshman Cassidy Crites then served the Dragons to an 8-0 run – Crites had two service aces in the run – to help regain the momentum and sweep West Plains for the first time since 2006.

Sophomore Page Hiebert led the Blue Dragons 14 kills and posted her ninth double-double, her second of the tournament, with 13 digs.

Sophomore Tatyana Ndekwe had eight kills and three block assists. Sophomore Nina Pevic added seven kills.

Sophomore Katie Jorn tallied 21 set assists and Crites had 15 assists.

Sophomore Kelsey Mulligan led with 16 digs and Raychel Reed added nine digs.

TYLER RECAP
The Blue Dragons were bidding to rally from a 0-2 deficit to win a match for the first time since last season at Seward County. The Blue Dragons led for most of the fifth set and led 14-13, but a missed serve allowed Tyler to stay in the match and the Apaches pulled out the win sending the Dragons to 0-3 in five-set matches this season.

Hiebert reached the 20-kill mark of the fifth time this season with 20 kills on 59 attacks. Ndekwe had 12 kills on .556 hitting with five block assists.

Jorn dished out 40 assists while Mulligan had a season-high 23 digs. Reed had 17 digs.