TERRE HAUTE, Ind. - Midway gets their first win of 2026 as they split day one of the Showdown In The Woods Tournament on Friday afternoon.
MATCH ONE: SCIENCE & ARTS OF OKLAHOMA 3 - 0 MIDWAY
USAO took the match 25-17, 25-20 and 25-20.
The Drovers' offense came out firing in the opening set. Midway stayed within striking distance early, trailing just 6-5 following a kill from Nyla Gaines, but USAO responded with six of the next seven points to build a 12-6 advantage.
The Eagles continued to battle and put together a late push. Trailing 19-12, kills from Gaines and Alyssa Medeiros along with a Mayme Powell service ace helped cut the deficit to 19-15.
USAO halted the rally and closed the set by scoring six of the final eight points to take the opener, 25-17.
Midway came out strong in the second set, scoring the opening point on a Powell service ace. The two sides traded points throughout the early stages before the Drovers began to create separation.
With USAO leading 10-9, the Drovers rattled off eight of the next eight points to build an 18-9 advantage.
The Eagles refused to go away. Trailing 22-14, Midway put together a 4-0 run highlighted by a Marlee Laycock service ace and an Alyssa Medeiros block to cut the deficit to four.
USAO responded once again, however, and held off Midway's late push to take the second set, 25-20, and build a 2-0 advantage in the match.
The third set proved to be the most competitive of the morning.
After falling behind 6-2, Midway battled back and eventually took its first lead of the set at 9-8 following consecutive kills from Gaines. The Eagles continued to find success from the service line, with aces from Lanie Cornelius and Powell helping Midway build a 12-10 advantage.
The two sides continued to trade points before Midway made another push. An Ava Mardis service ace followed by a Cornelius kill gave the Eagles an 18-17 advantage late in the frame.
USAO responded when it mattered most. The Drovers scored six unanswered points to turn the one-point deficit into a 23-18 lead. Midway pulled within three following a Medeiros kill and a Morgan Broderick block, but USAO closed out the set, 25-20, to complete the sweep.
Gaines led the Midway attack with seven kills while hitting .222. Medeiros, Allie McClanahan and Mayson Delong each added six kills, with Delong hitting a team-best .308.
Powell recorded 15 assists and four service aces, while Peyton Osteen added 12 assists. Laycock led the defensive effort with nine digs and added two aces.
At the net, Broderick recorded two blocks as Midway finished with five total blocks compared to none for USAO.
The Eagles finished the match with 30 kills and a .202 hitting percentage. Midway also recorded 10 service aces, matching USAO in that category.
USAO was led by Iyahna Hibbler, who recorded a match-high 13 kills. Trinity Williams added 12 kills as the Drovers finished with 50 kills and a .394 hitting percentage.
With the win, USAO improves to 4-1.
MATCH TWO : MIDWAY 3 - 1 MICHIGAN-DEARBORN
The Eagles picked up their first victory of the 2026 season Friday afternoon, defeating Michigan-Dearborn in four sets.
Midway earned the victory by scores of 26-24, 25-17, 20-25 and 25-16.
The opening set was a battle from start to finish. Michigan-Dearborn built a 10-7 advantage before the Eagles began to turn the momentum behind the service of Marlee Laycock.
Midway scored six of the next seven points, with Laycock recording two service aces during the run, to turn a three-point deficit into a 13-11 advantage.
The Wolverines responded and eventually built a 21-17 lead, but the Eagles refused to let the opening set slip away. Midway scored five of the next six points, getting blocks from Mayson Delong and Morgan Broderick before an Allie McClanahan kill helped the Eagles even the score at 22.
The two sides traded points before a Delong kill gave Midway set point at 24-23. Michigan-Dearborn answered to tie it at 24, but Lanie Cornelius put the Eagles back in front with a kill before an attack error sealed the 26-24 victory.
Midway carried the momentum into the second set.
With the Eagles leading 8-7, kills from Cornelius and Medeiros helped spark a 4-1 run that pushed the advantage to 12-8. Midway continued to build its lead, eventually taking a 21-15 advantage following a Laycock service ace and a McClanahan kill.
The Eagles closed the set by scoring four of the final five points to earn a 25-17 victory and take a commanding 2-0 lead in the match.
Michigan-Dearborn responded in the third set. After Midway jumped out to a 7-3 advantage, the Wolverines battled back and eventually took control with an 8-1 run that turned an 11-9 lead into a 19-10 advantage.
Midway attempted a late rally behind the service of Laycock. The Eagles scored five unanswered points to cut the deficit to 19-16, with McClanahan recording a block and Laycock adding two service aces during the run.
The Wolverines weathered the comeback attempt and held on for a 25-20 victory to force a fourth set.
Midway made sure the match wouldn't go any further.
The Eagles jumped out to an early 7-2 advantage and never looked back. Midway stretched its lead to 12-4 before eventually building an 18-9 advantage behind consecutive kills from McClanahan.
Michigan-Dearborn made a late push, but the Eagles slammed the door. Midway scored six consecutive points to build a 24-12 advantage before McClanahan fittingly put the finishing touches on the victory with her 14th kill of the match.
The fourth set was Midway's best offensive performance of the afternoon, as the Eagles recorded 15 kills with just four attack errors while hitting .324.
McClanahan continued the impressive start to her freshman campaign, finishing with a match-high 14 kills while committing just one attack error on 40 attempts for a .325 hitting percentage. She also added two blocks.
Medeiros added eight kills, while Delong finished with six. Broderick was efficient offensively, recording five kills on 10 attempts with just two errors for a .300 hitting percentage.
Mayme Powell and Peyton Osteen once again split the setting duties, with Powell recording 20 assists and Osteen adding 18.
Laycock made her presence felt from the service line, finishing with a match-high six aces while adding 13 digs. Blair Riney led the defensive effort with 17 digs and added two service aces, while Aubry Kamholz finished with 10 digs.
Midway finished with 44 kills, 10 service aces and six blocks while holding Michigan-Dearborn to 39 kills and a .034 hitting percentage.
Monti Rotter led the Wolverines with 13 kills, while Joy Pryor recorded a match-high 24 digs.
The win is the first career win as a collegiate head coach for Sam Young.
UP NEXT:
The Eagles will stay overnight and play two more tomorrow as they match up against Johnson (TN.) and Olivet Nazarene.
About Midway University Athletics
Midway University competes in the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) and its 29 athletics teams are part of the River States Conference, Mid-South Conference, the 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.
