DRAGONS DROP TOUGH FIVE-SET BATTLE TO SEWARD COUNTY

Hutchison CC Sports Information

The Hutchinson Community College volleyball team rallied to force a fifth set with Jayhawk Conference rival Seward County, but the Saints took charge early in the decisive final set to defeat the Blue Dragons 3-2.

Held to .045 hitting in the fifth set, the Blue Dragons lost 25-23, 18-25, 20-25, 25-17, 12-15.

The Dragons are now 9-8 overall and 2-4 in the Jayhawk. Hutchinson plays host to the Blue Dragon Volleyball Classic beginning at 1 p.m. on Friday against Tyler Junior College. Hutchinson also plays Iowa Western (5 p.m. Friday), Missouri State-West Plains (9 a.m. Saturday) and the Southwestern College JV (1 p.m. Saturday).

The Blue Dragons are now 2-2 in five-set matches.

Outside hitters Lauren Vazquez and Alondra Villanueva had 11 kills each to lead the Blue Dragons against the Saints.

Vazquez had her fourth match with 10 or more kills and her second double-double of the season with 11 kills on 37 attacks for a .108 hitting percentage. Vazquez was one of four Dragons with double-figure digs with 15.

Villanueva had 11 kills and hit .057 on 35 attacks. She had her fifth double-double with 12 digs.

Sophomore Priscilla Raschen had a career-high nine kills on .147 hitting. Sophomore Jaylynn McNeill finished with nine kills on .148 hitting. Freshman Mattie Galliher finished with seven kills on .375 hitting. Sophomore Kierny Follmer had five kills.

The Blue Dragons out-hit Seward County .130-.125. The Dragons had 91 digs to Seward's 76. The Saints had nine service aces to the Dragons' seven and out-blocked the Dragons 10-7.

Sophomore setter Angela Reupena had her second double-double of the season with 23 assists and 10 digs. Freshman setter Alexandra Garcia had 19 assists and nine digs.

Freshman libero Clara Oliveira had 24 digs and seven assists.

Mariana Silva had 22 kills and Nicolly Chaves had 15 kills to lead Seward County.

Set 1: The Blue Dragons had their best offensive set of the match hitting .200 with 15 kills on 40 swings. McNeill had five kills and hit .444. There were six ties and three lead changes. The Saints jumped out to a 10-4 lead and eventually led 17-11. Trailing 18-13, Vazquez sparked a Dragon comeback with two kills in a 6-0 run. Her kill gave Hutchinson a 19-18 lead. A Galliher-McNeill double block gave the Dragons a 21-19 lead. Leading 23-21, the Dragons got a kill from McNeill for a 24-19 lead. The Saints fought off two set points, but Follmer terminated on Hutchinson's third set point for a 25-23 win.

Set 2: The Saints were strong from the service line in the second set, getting four of their six aces in the set from Mina Millvojevic. She had three-straight aces during a 5-0 run that gave Seward a 7-5 lead. Galliher answered with three consecutive kills to give the Dragons an 11-8 lead. A Vazquez-Follmer double block gave the Dragons a 15-14 lead, but the Saints went on an 11-3 run to close the set. The Saints hit .300 and the Dragons hit .111.

Set 3: The Dragons had early leads of 5-4 and 7-6. Seward had a pair of 4-0 runs to open leads of 10-7 and 20-14. A McKenzie Williamson ace serve pulled Hutchinson within 20-17, but the Saints got four kills from Silva and won the set 25-20.

Set 4: The Saints jumped out to a 6-0 lead, but a Villanueva kill sparked a 7-1 Dragon run to tie the set at 7-all. Trailing 12-11, the Dragons took charge of the set with a 10-2 run to lead 21-13. Seward scored 4 of the next 5 points to pull within 22-17, but a Galliher kills, Seward attack error and a Vazquez kill for a 25-17 set win.

Set 5: The Saints started the final set with an ace and kill and never gave up the lead. Seward had leads of 8-5 and 10-7. Seward County hit .138 in the set to Hutchinson's .045. Neither team had more than a two-point run in the final set. The Dragons pulled within 12-11 on a double block from Follmer and Vazquez. Then a Follmer kill fought off one match point, but the Saints finished off the Dragons with a 15-12 victory.