TERRA HAUTE, Ind. - Struggling to finish off sets is the difference in game one, Eagles drop both games on Saturday at the Showdown In The Woods Tournament.
After recording 38 kills, and only 8 errors over four games.
Allie McClanahan was named team MVP in the tournament.
GAME ONE: MIDWAY 2 - 3 JOHNSON (TN.)
For the second time in four matches, the Midway women's volleyball team found itself in a five-set battle, but the Eagles came up just short against Johnson University (TN.) on Saturday afternoon at the Showdown in the Woods.
After dropping the opening set, Midway responded by winning the next two to take a 2-1 advantage. Johnson, however, escaped with a 26-24 victory in the fourth before taking the decisive fifth set, 15-13.
Johnson opened the match with a 25-20 victory in the first set. The Eagles struggled to find their rhythm offensively, finishing with eight kills and nine attack errors as the Royals grabbed the early advantage.
Midway quickly put the opening set behind it.
The Eagles battled back in the second and began to find success from the service line. Midway finished the frame with nine kills while holding Johnson to a .056 hitting percentage. The Eagles pulled away for a 25-19 victory to even the match at one set apiece.
The third set was a battle throughout, but Midway turned in its most efficient offensive performance to that point. The Eagles committed just four attack errors while hitting .150.
With the set hanging in the balance late, Midway found a way to finish it off, taking a 25-23 victory and moving within one set of its second consecutive win.
The fourth set turned into the most competitive frame of the day.
Midway's offense came alive, recording a match-high 18 kills in the set while hitting .226. Johnson answered with 15 kills of its own and committed just three attack errors as neither side was able to create much separation.
With extra points needed to decide the set, Johnson eventually prevailed, 26-24, to keep the match alive and force a decisive fifth.
The final set followed the same back-and-forth script.
With both teams fighting for the finish line, neither could pull away. Johnson eventually found the final two points it needed, taking the fifth set, 15-13, to complete the comeback and earn the 3-2 victory.
Allie McClanahan once again led the Midway attack, finishing with a team-high 13 kills while hitting .222. Lanie Cornelius and Nyla Gaines each added nine kills.
Cornelius also made her presence felt at the net and from the service line, finishing with two blocks and two service aces. Gaines added two blocks, while Mayson Delong led the Eagles at the net with three blocks to go along with seven kills.
Mayme Powell dished out a team-high 20 assists and added 11 digs and two service aces. Peyton Osteen finished with 13 assists and two aces.
Aubry Kamholz put together a strong all-around defensive performance, recording 14 digs and a team-high three service aces. Blair Riney led Midway with 15 digs, while Marlee Laycock added 10.
Midway finished the match with 50 kills, 10 service aces, eight blocks and 70 digs.
Johnson was led by Makiyah Greenlee, who recorded a match-high 24 kills while hitting .260. Anna Birling led the Royals defensively with 24 digs.
With the win, the Royals move to 3-6 on the campaign.
GAME TWO: MIDWAY 0 - 3 OLIVET NAZARENE
The Tigers took the match by scores of 25-20, 25-16 and 25-22.
Olivet Nazarene jumped out to a quick 6-1 advantage in the opening set before Midway began to chip away at the deficit. Kills from Gaines and Alyssa Medeiros helped the Eagles pull within three at 10-7.
Trailing 12-7, Midway found another gear at the net. The Eagles scored four consecutive points, with Powell, Delong and Cornelius contributing on blocks during the run to cut the deficit to 12-11.
Medeiros later pulled Midway within one again at 13-12 with a kill, but the Tigers responded with four unanswered points to regain control.
Midway continued to battle and pulled within three at 23-20 following a Delong block, but Olivet Nazarene scored the final two points to take the opening set, 25-20.
The Tigers carried that momentum into the second set, building an early 9-4 advantage. Olivet Nazarene continued to create separation and eventually stretched its lead to 14-7.
Midway attempted to fight its way back into the frame. A Medeiros block and a Gaines kill helped cut the deficit to 14-9, while an Kamholz service ace later highlighted a 3-0 run that pulled the Eagles within six at 21-15.
Olivet Nazarene halted the rally and closed out the second set, 25-16, to take a 2-0 advantage in the match.
The Eagles refused to go quietly in the third.
After Olivet Nazarene built a 16-10 advantage, Midway put together its best run of the set. Kills from Allie McClanahan, Ava Benner and Medeiros helped the Eagles score six of the next seven points and pull within one at 17-16.
The Tigers responded and rebuilt their advantage to 22-18, but Midway had one more push left.
Delong recorded a kill before Blair Riney followed with a service ace to cut the deficit to 22-20. After Olivet Nazarene moved ahead 23-20, the Eagles scored two straight to make it a one-point set once again at 23-22.
Olivet Nazarene answered with the final two points, however, taking the third set, 25-22, to complete the sweep.
Gaines led the Midway offense with seven kills while hitting .176. Medeiros and McClanahan finished with five kills apiece, with Medeiros hitting .200 and adding a block.
Delong recorded five kills and led the Eagles at the net with two blocks. Powell contributed across the board, finishing with eight assists, seven digs, two kills and two blocks.
Peyton Osteen led the Eagles with 11 assists, while Riney, Kamholz and Cornelius each recorded a service ace.
Olivet Nazarene finished with 45 kills and a .277 hitting percentage, while Midway recorded 26 kills and hit .054. The Eagles held a 6-5 advantage in blocks and a 3-1 edge in service aces.
Adeleine Catlin led Olivet Nazarene with nine kills while hitting .353. Brynn Nikonchuk added eight kills and two blocks, while Naomi Monney-Hori finished with seven kills and a match-high 11 digs.
UP NEXT:
The Eagles will travel to Lima, Ohio next weekend for a tri-match against Wright State Lake University and University of Northwest Ohio. They return home on September 8th as they host Campbellsville.
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.
