MIDWAY, Ky. — The Midway University women's volleyball team put up a fight against one of the River States Conference's top teams Friday night, but ultimately fell 3-1 to Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College at Marshall Gymnasium.
The Eagles took the second set in a 30-28 thriller after dropping the opener 25-22. However, the Pomeroys responded with 25-14 and 25-15 victories in the final two sets to secure the match.
With the loss, Midway falls to 5-16 overall and 2-4 in RSC play, while Saint Mary-of-the-Woods improves to 30-1 overall and 7-0 in conference action.
The opening set was closely contested, with both teams recording 15 kills. Midway hit .205 in the set, but Saint Mary-of-the-Woods committed just two attacking errors to edge the Eagles 25-22.
Midway responded with its strongest offensive performance of the night in the second set.
The Eagles recorded 15 kills on 37 attempts, hitting .270 as they battled the Pomeroys in a back-and-forth set that extended beyond the usual 25-point mark.
Midway eventually prevailed 30-28, evening the match at one set apiece and handing Saint Mary-of-the-Woods its first dropped set of the evening.
The Pomeroys regained momentum in the third set, recording 14 kills and hitting .379. Midway struggled offensively, finishing with six kills and six attacking errors as Saint Mary-of-the-Woods took the set 25-14.
In the fourth, the Eagles recorded seven kills, but the Pomeroys closed out the match with an 11-kill performance to claim a 25-15 victory.
Allie McClanahan led the Midway offense with 14 kills, while Alyssa Medeiros added nine and Mayson Delong finished with seven.
The Eagles also turned in a strong defensive performance at the net, recording 10 team blocks compared to nine for Saint Mary-of-the-Woods.
Aleeyah Ladd led Midway with seven blocks, while Delong contributed four and Medeiros added three.
Mayme Powell directed the Midway offense with a career-high 28 assists while adding two service aces. Peyton Osteen followed with 12 assists and nine digs.
Osteen and Marlee Laycock shared the team lead with nine digs apiece, while Blair Riney added seven.
Midway finished the match with 43 kills, 41 assists, six service aces and 49 digs while hitting .162 as a team.
Saint Mary-of-the-Woods recorded 60 kills and hit .268. Ryan Canter led the Pomeroys with 16 kills, while Karla Melendez Martinez added 13 and Masa Pesic finished with 11.
Despite the loss, Midway became one of the few teams to take a set from the Pomeroys this season, as Saint Mary-of-the-Woods entered the contest with a 29-1 overall record.
UP NEXT
The Eagles will return to Marshall Gymnasium on Saturday, Oct. 10, for a home tri-match.
Midway will open the day against IU Kokomo at noon in RSC action before returning to the court at 4 p.m. to face Lindsey Wilson in a nonconference matchup.
IU Kokomo and Lindsey Wilson will also meet at 2 p.m.
ABOUT MIDWAY UNIVERSITY ATHLETICS
Midway University competes in the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA), and its 29 athletic teams are part of the River States Conference, Mid-South Conference, Intercollegiate Horse Shows Association and USA Archery. For more information about Midway University Athletics, please visit www.gomidwayeagles.com or contact Tyler Beck at 859-846-5366.
