Morningside cruises to 3-set win over MLC

Morningside didn’t do anything to change its status as one of the top volleyball teams in the NAIA on Friday.

The Mustangs - rated No. 15 in the latest poll - cruised to a 25-18, 25-15, 25-19 victory over Midland Lutheran College at the MLC Events Center.

"It’s always nice to get a win on the road in this conference," said Morningside coach Rick Pruett, whose team improved to 22-3 overall and 8-1 in the Great Plains Athletic Conference.

Morningside relied on a balanced attack against the Lady Warriors.

Addi Radke, a transfer from Kansas State, led the Mustangs with 11 kills and Bennington native Amber Jarzynka added nine. Jamie Vander Kooi and Emily Christen chipped in eight kills apiece.

Pruett also praised the play of setter Kali Angerman, who had 43 assists and leads the NAIA in assists per game.

"She just has a good knack for who’s hot and she goes to the hot hand," said Pruett, a former Midland coach. "Our hitters make her look really good, too, but she puts the ball where they can get kills."

Morningside jumped out to a 9-3 lead in the opening game and never let MLC get closer than four points the rest of the way.

In game two, the Mustangs used a late 7-1 run to take control. Jarzynka ended the game with a kill.

Midland (5-18, 1-8 GPAC) stayed with the Mustangs throughout much of the third game and trailed just 21-19 following a Lauren Willett kill.

A Midland hitting error gave Morningside the serve, and the Mustangs closed out the match with three straight points, the last coming on a kill from Radke.

Midland coach Kristen Lebeda-Svehla used her sixth different lineup of the season and thought that began to pay dividends in the final game.

"I think it was just being familiar with the rotations, knowing who was going in where," she said. "I could finally sub without them going into the wrong spots. I know it’s a good rotation and I like it. We just have to stay with it and work with it."

Amanda Hunt led Midland with nine kills and Willett added six. No other Lady Warrior, though, had more than three.

"Obviously we did struggle a few times hitting into them and we didn’t move the ball around as much on our side as we would like to," said Lebeda-Svehla, whose team returns to action this afternoon at home against Briar Cliff.

MLC setter Kaylie Heberly had 17 assists.