COLUMBIA, Mo. — MidAmerica Nazarene Volleyball faced a challenging set of matches this weekend, going up against three nationally ranked teams: #1 Indiana Wesleyan, #7 Columbia, and #4 Concordia. The Pioneers demonstrated resilience but ultimately came up short, finishing the stretch 0-3.
Indiana Wesleyan 3, MidAmerica Nazarene 0 (25-19, 25-21, 25-9)
In their first match of the weekend, the Pioneers faced the top-ranked Indiana Wesleyan, losing in straight sets. MNU struggled offensively, hitting just .076 as a team, while IWU capitalized on MNU's errors and hit .265.
Key performances included Avery Lowe and Isabella Munari, who both contributed 5 kills each. Katrina Davis led with 22 assists, and Emily Mathis recorded 10 digs.
Despite a strong start in the first set, MNU couldn't maintain momentum. The second set was a closer contest, with the Pioneers surging to a 20-16 lead, but Indiana Wesleyan responded with a 9-1 run to secure the set and take full control of the match​.
Columbia 3, MidAmerica Nazarene 1 (25-22, 28-26, 16-25, 25-9)
MidAmerica Nazarene gave a valiant effort against #7 Columbia but ultimately fell 3-1. After narrowly losing the first two sets, the Pioneers bounced back to dominate the third set, 25-16. However, the Cougars surged back in the fourth to secure the win.
The Pioneers showed offensive potential, hitting .195 as a team. Avery Lowe had a standout match with 15 kills and a .423 hitting percentage, while Mia Olson and Isabella Munari added 11 and 10 kills, respectively. Setter Katrina Davis had an impressive 49 assists, orchestrating MNU's attack​.
Despite a strong showing in Set 3, MNU couldn't find an answer in the fourth set, as Columbia overwhelmed them to close the match with a decisive 25-9 win.
Concordia 3, MidAmerica Nazarene 0 (25-20, 25-20, 25-18)
MidAmerica Nazarene wrapped up the weekend facing #4 Concordia, battling hard but dropping another straight-set match. Despite being out-hit .217 to .059, the Pioneers fought in every set but couldn't convert critical points when needed.
Maddie Schmidt led the offense with 6 kills, while Alyssa Reichard added 5 kills and 13 digs. Concordia's balanced attack kept MNU on the defensive, as the Bulldogs controlled the pace of the match from start to finish​.
Up Next
The Pioneers will look to rebound in New Orleans, where they face a 4-game set against Campbellsville, Loyola, Marian, and Xavier over the weekend.
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