Dordt put together a strong response after dropping the third set, defeating No. 4-ranked Morningside 3-1 on Saturday, October 17, at the Vos Family Gymnasium. The Defenders won by set scores of 25-21, 25-16, 17-25 and 25-21 to extend their winning streak to six matches and improve to 17-7 overall and 8-4 in Great Plains Athletic Conference play. Morningside fell to 20-5 overall and 9-3 in the GPAC.
The opening set featured several early ties as neither team could establish control. Dordt built a two-point advantage at 8-6, but Morningside answered with a four-point run to move ahead 10-8. The Mustangs stretched the lead to 15-11, prompting a Dordt timeout.
The Defenders responded with a timely push. Kills from
Ellie Weg and
Breanna Beckering, along with two blocks involving Weg and
Ada Dekkers, helped Dordt pull within one at 16-15. After Morningside briefly regained a three-point cushion at 18-15,
Dordt won four straight points to take a 19-18 lead. Dekkers and
Laney Wolfswinkel helped fuel the run with a pair of blocks, and another Morningside attack error made it 20-19. Dordt continued to apply pressure, extending the advantage to 23-20 before Morningside called timeout. The Mustangs scored once more, but a kill by
Shayna Van Dyken and a Morningside setting error gave Dordt the 25-21 win.
Dordt carried that momentum into the second set, turning an early 2-1 deficit into a 6-2 advantage with a five-point stretch.
Haley Kuperus contributed a kill, while Morningside errors and a pair of blocks helped the Defenders build separation. The Mustangs briefly cut the margin to one at 5-6, but Dordt answered with three consecutive points to move ahead 8-5.
Morningside stayed within reach early, trailing 11-9, before Dordt took control with another three-point run. A kill by
Ada Dekkers and an attack error helped make it 14-9. The teams traded points through the middle of the set, but Dordt pulled away late. The Defenders won four consecutive points to move from 19-15 to 23-15, highlighted by a kill from
Laney Wolfswinkel and a service ace by
Carlee Jackson. Kuperus put Dordt at set point, and a
Haley Wielenga ace closed out the 25-16 win. Dordt hit .424 in the set, recording 16 kills with just two errors.
Morningside responded in the third set, using a run in the middle of the frame to take command. The teams were tied at 2-2 before the Mustangs moved ahead 5-3. Dordt kept the margin close early, but Morningside gradually stretched its lead to 10-8 and then 15-10, forcing a Defenders timeout.
Dordt briefly interrupted the run with a kill from
Ada Dekkers, but Morningside continued to find points through its attack and the Defenders' errors. The Mustangs built a 20-14 advantage and later scored four straight points to move from 21-15 to 24-15. Dordt saved two set points with kills from
Laney Wolfswinkel and
Ada Dekkers, but Morningside finished the set 25-17 to cut Dordt's lead in the match to 2-1.
The fourth set again featured momentum swings, with the teams tied at 1-1 and 3-3 before Dordt began to create separation. The Defenders won four of the next five points, including a service ace from
Chloe Huisman and kills from Kuperus and Wolfswinkel, to move ahead 7-4. A block by Dekkers and Beckering, followed by another Wolfswinkel kill, helped Dordt build a 11-6 lead.
Morningside refused to go away. The Mustangs scored three straight points to close within 11-8, and later trimmed the margin to 14-12. Dordt answered with two points to make it 16-12, but Morningside again rallied, eventually tying the set at 19-19 after scoring three consecutive points. The Defenders regained the lead on a Kuperus kill, then added a Morningside service error and a Dekkers block to move ahead 22-20.
After Morningside cut the margin to 22-21, Kuperus delivered another kill to make it 23-21. An attack error gave Dordt match point at 24-21, and Huisman ended the match with a service ace for the 25-21 set victory.
Kuperus led Dordt with 18 kills and a .350 attack percentage, adding five block assists. Wolfswinkel finished with 13 kills and a .270 hitting percentage, while Dekkers contributed 10 kills and eight total blocks, including two solo blocks. Beckering added nine kills and three block assists, and Van Dyken recorded seven kills while hitting .286.
Huisman and
Carlee Jackson combined to direct the offense, with Huisman recording 24 assists and Jackson adding 30.
Kylie Beckering led Dordt with 14 digs, while Wielenga contributed 13 digs.
Dordt finished with 62 kills and a .290 attack percentage, compared with Morningside's 51 kills and .200 hitting percentage. The Defenders also held a 23-7 advantage in total blocks. Morningside was led by Miyah Whitehead's 17 kills and Sidda
Hagedorn's 13 kills.
Dordt has won six in a row and will be off until Saturday, October 24 at home against Dakota Wesleyan.
Dordt Leaders
Haley Kuperus | 18 kills | .350 kill efficiency | 5 block assists
Laney Wolfswinkel | 13 kills | .270 kill efficiency | 2 block assists
Ada Dekkers | 10 kills | .364 kill efficiency | 2 solo blocks, 6 block assists
Breanna Beckering | 9 kills | .333 kill efficiency | 3 block assists
Shayna Van Dyken | 7 kills | .286 kill efficiency
Ellie Weg | 5 kills | .176 kill efficiency | 1 solo block, 4 block assists
Chloe Huisman | 24 assists | 2 service aces | 4 digs
Carlee Jackson | 30 assists | 1 service ace | 8 digs
Kylie Beckering | 14 digs
Haley Wielenga | 13 digs | 1 service ace
Â
| Â |
Dordt |
Morningside |
| Kills |
62 |
51 |
| Kill Efficiency |
.290 |
.200 |
| Digs |
68 |
70 |
| Total Blocks |
23 |
7 |
| Aces |
4 |
5 |
