MIDWAY, Ky. - Midway snapped a 33-match losing streak in conference play and earned its first win as a member of the River States Conference with a 25-19, 25-18, 23-25, 25-18 triumph over visiting Indiana East on Friday.
Jordan Daily topped 20 assists for the fourth match in a row, registering a career-high 32. Nine of those came in the first set where Midway rode a .471 hitting percentage to an easy win.
The second set opened with 32 of the first 36 points being played with teams either tied or within one point of each other. But the Eagles dominated the rest of the way, scoring seven of the final eight points, closing things out on a
Hunter Leigh ace.
The celebration would be delayed temporarily, as the Red Wolves gutted out a tight third set, battling back from a 10-6 deficit and winning off of consecutive Eagle errors.
But after the fourth set was tied 5-5, Midway put together a 14-5 scoring run and held control the rest of the way.
Jai'Den Chinnis and
Braden Cacek led a balanced attack with nine and eight kills respectively. Chinnis also had three service aces, while
Lincoln Anderson (15) and
Jose Conde (12) both recorded double-digit digs.
Friday was Midway's first win in a conference match since defeating then Mid-South Conference foe Rio Grande 3-0 on March 2, 2022. The River States Conference began sponsoring men's volleyball as a sport this spring.
Friday was also the Eagles' first time winning consecutive matches since a 3-0 start to the 2023 season.
Now 3-12 with a 1-8 RSC record, the Eagles are back home for another conference match Monday, hosting Oakland City (Ind.) at 6 p.m.
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