Bison Volleyball Sweeps Away the Competition In Day Two of Purple Raider Classic
Sept. 5 – ALLIANCE, Ohio - The Bethany College volleyball team put together two complete-team efforts as the Bison swept Trine University and #14 Mount Union on Saturday at the Purple Raider Classic.
Bethany (3-1) opened the contest with a 3-0 win over Trine. The Bison took the three-set victory, winning the match by scores of 25-21, 25-20 and 25-22.
The opening set of the day saw the Bison and Thunder trade blows, with neither team picking up more than a three-point advantage. Eventually, the game would be pushed to 21-21, and the Bison would make their move. A kill by junior Dakota McKenzie (Hopewell, Ohio/West Muskingum) sparked a 4-0 run for Bethany to give the Bison a 25-21 win. Junior Alexis Castro (Lorain, Ohio/Lorain) ended the set with a kill of her own, staking Bethany to a 1-0 lead.
Game-changing runs were the theme for the next two sets as the Bison overcame sizable deficits to pick up wins in both. In set two, the Bison trailed 5-0 early on, but eventually used a 10-2 run to take a 17-9 advantage in the game. Bethany would go onto win game two, 25-20.
Game three saw the Thunder apply even more pressure, pushing their advantage to 18-11 late in the third set. Bethany, however, would once again have an answer. With Mackenzie Lauber (Mansfield, Ohio/Madison Mansfield) serving, the Bison would embark on a 7-0 run, including kills by Arielle Sanders (Maple Heights, Ohio/Maple Heights) and Castro, to knot the set at 18-18. From there, Bethany would roll on, eventually overtaking the Thunder 25-22, and the match, 3-0.
Castro played a vital role in the straight-set Dakota McKenzieng 11 kills to go along with two block assists. Dakota McKenzie added nine kills while Dylana McKenzie (Hopewell, Ohio/West Muskingum) finished with six.
Defensively, Bethany held Trine to a .094 hitting percentage and were led by freshman libero Reilly Parker's (Irwin, Pa./Norwin) 22 digs.
The late game for the Green & White was the biggest, as the Bison posted the program's first ever victory against a team ranked in American Volleyball Coaches' Association (AVCA) Top-25 Poll. Mount Union entered the match ranked 14th in the country, and the Green & White walked away with the straight-set victory (25-21, 25-23, 25-20).
"It is such a great feeling to walk away with a hard fought win," commented head coach Courtney Kline. "It's amazing what our team can accomplish when we play for each other and play an unselfish team game."
The Bison came out of the gates firing on all cylinders as Bethany ran out to a 9-2 advantage. With senior Julia Mouch (Toledo, Ohio/Sylvania Southview) serving, the Bison tallied five kills in the run, including three by Castro.
Three different times during the set, the Purple RaideDakota McKenzie edge the score back to a three-point Bison advantage, but they never go closer. With the Bison leading 20-17, Dakota McKenzie posted the next four points for the Green &Dylana McKenzieta McKenziehe game to match point at 24-21. Dylana McKenzie (Hopewell, Ohio/West Muskingum) then finished off the set with a kill, giving the Bison a 25-21 win in set one.
Dakota McKenzie was a force in the opening set, posting a total of seven kills and two block assists.
Set two saw a little adverDakota McKenziey, as Mount Union ran out to a 14-9 advantage and still held a three-point lead late into the set (23-20). From there, however, the Bison went on a 5-0 run to overtake the Raiders and take set two, 25-23.
After a kill from Mouch, Dakota McKenzie added three kills in a row to put the Bison ahead 24-23. Mount Union than succumbed to an unforced error, and the Green & White found themselves up 2-0 heading into the final set.
The third and final set once again saw the resiliency of the Bison as Mount Union again jumped out to a five-point advantage (7-2). Bethany would respond with a 9-1 run which was capped off by an ace from junior Allie Powell (IndianapoliDakota McKenziece Central), giving the Bison an 11-8 lead.
Tied 16-16 later in the set, the Bison would take the advantage for the final time on a Castro kill. The ensuing 4-0 run would be enough to put Mount Union away, as the Bison went on for the 25-20 win.
Dylana McKenzie against the Purple Raiders, Dakota McKenzie led the way, tallying 16 kills and four block assists. Castro and Dylana McKenzie each added 10 kills while Lauber totaled 23 assists.
Defensively, the Bison held Mount Union to their lowest hitting percentage of the season, as Dakota McKenzieers hit just .077 in the contest. The Green & White produced 43 digs in the three-set match, led by 16 from Parker.
Overall in the Purple Raider Classic, the Bison posted a record of 3-1, holding opponents under a .100 hitting percentage on three-sepAlexis Castrons. For their efforts, both Dakota McKenzie and Alexis Castro were named to the All-Tournament team.
In four matches, McKenzie led the Bison offensively, totaling 46 kills while averaging 3.29 kills per set. She also led the Bison with seven service aces, while hitting .164 in two days.
Castro did well in her first weekend of competition in a new role. A middle hitter during the2014 season, Castro moved to the outside and finished the four-game stretch with 40 kills while hitting a team-high .214. She also notched eight blocks to help the Bison go 3-1.
The Bison will be back in action on Wednesday, September 9, when they open their Presidents' Athletic Conference schedule in Beaver Falls, Pa. against Geneva College. The matchup with the Golden Tornadoes is scheduled for a 7:00 p.m. start.
