BLUE DRAGONS SWEEP DODGE CITY

Elena Takova had eight kills and five blocks to lead the Blue Dragons to a 3-0 sweep of Dodge City on Monday Night at the Sports Arena. (Casey Bailey/Blue Dragon Sports Information)

September 10, 2018

Hutchinson CC Sports Information

Lexi Hogan tied a career high for kills, while Elena Takova had eight kills and five total blocks to help the Hutchinson Community College volleyball team get back to .500 with a Jayhawk West sweep of Dodge City on Monday night at the Sports Arena.

The Blue Dragons held Dodge City to a negative-.136 hitting percentage in a 25-14, 25-15, 25-15 victory.

Hutchinson improved to 4-4 overall and 3-1 in the Jayhawk West. Dodge City falls to 0-11 and 0-4 in conference play. The Blue Dragons travel to Colby on Wednesday.

Hogan matched her career best for kills that she initially had on August 29 at the Sports Arena against Barton. On Monday, the sophomore outside hitter had 10 kills on 21 swings for a .238 attack percentage.

Takova hit a season-high .438 with eight kills and only one error on 16 swings. She also had one solo block and four block assists for a season-high five total blocks.

The Blue Dragons out-hit Dodge City .190-(-.136). The Conquistadors had 16 kills and 28 attack errors to go with six service errors. The Dragons racked up 32 kills on 79 attacks, out-blocked Dodge City 8-4 and had 34 digs and six services aces. Dodge City had 26 digs and three aces.

Freshman Lauren Willson added six kills and a season-high nine digs.

Freshman setter Eboni Sapien made her first career start and had 11 assists. Sophomore Cassidy Crites added eight assists and Payton Gawith had four assists and three digs.

Sophomore libero Raychel Reed finished with a match-high 11 digs.

Madi Spender had five kills to lead Dodge City.

Set 1: The Blue Dragons had a good start to the match hitting .304 in the opening set to Dodge City's -.045. A Tara Davis kill gave Hutch an early 8-3 lead. Dodge scored the next three, but the Dragons took command of the set with an 8-1 run to lead 16-7 after a Takova/Hydeah Hinesman double block. Takova and Hinesman teamed up again to tart a 4-0 run to build a 20-9 lead and force Dodge to burn its second timeout. A Takova kill on set point finished off the set. Hogan had four kills while Takova and Eden Hiebert had three each.

Set 2: Offensively, the Dragons cooled off to .103 hitting on 10 kills. Dodge City, though, had five kills and 10 attack errors to hit -.152. Tied at 5, Willson had two kills on a 6-1 run that gave the Dragons an 11-6 lead. Dodge City then scored on 5 of the next 6 rallies to pull within 12-11. A Conquistador service error stopped that momentum and Hutch reeled off seven-straight points to build a 19-11 lead. Willson's kill on set point gave the Blue Dragons a 2-0 match lead.

Set 3: Takova carried the Blue Dragons in the final set with three kills on .427 hitting and four of her five total blocks. Dodge City had a 6-5 lead in the third when Hutch again grabbed control with a big run, this one a 9-2 spurt to lead 14-8 after Willson terminated on a Dodge City over-pass. The Dragons led 15-10 on a Vigil kill, but Dodge crept back into the set and trailed 15-14 after a Gabriella Valdez service ace to force a Hutch timeout. Order was quickly restored for Hutch as the Dragons finished the match on a 10-1 run that was highlighted by a tremendous diving save of a Dodge serve by Hutch's Claira Creach. After Creach played the ball, Reed batted it back across the net and it fell for a libero kill and an 18-14 lead.