Mustangs Triumph Against UHSP in Four Sets

CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa — Mount Mercy University (12-2, 8-2) took down the University of Health Sciences and Pharmacy (UHSP) (7-9, 4-6) with a solid 3-1 win on Saturday afternoon. Mount Mercy wrapped up the match with set scores of 25-22, 25-20, 29-31, and 25-15.

Mount Mercy clinched the first set 25-22, leveraging UHSP's miscues and executing sharp offensive plays. Gustavo Kehl Bauer was instrumental, delivering numerous assists and setting up key kills for Curdin Acklin and Gabor Toth. The Eutechtics faltered with service consistency, committing several errors, while the Mustangs applied constant pressure with service aces from Toth and Richard Struska. A late UHSP rally was countered by Mount Mercy's strong defense and timely kills to secure the set.

In the second set, Mount Mercy overcame an early deficit to claim a 25-20 victory. Acklin shone with pivotal kills, aided by Bauer's reliable setting. The Mustangs capitalized on service pressure, with critical aces from Toth and Struska swinging the momentum. Despite UHSP's offensive push led by RJ Dilks, Mount Mercy held firm, closing the set with a decisive ace.

UHSP narrowly took the third set 31-29 in a tightly contested battle. The Mustangs' attack was highlighted by Toth and Acklin, who combined for crucial kills, including Toth's key strike at 20-20 to keep it even. Despite a service ace from Toth pushing Mount Mercy ahead 23-22, UHSP's Maxwell McVickers sealed the set with a decisive kill. Both sides struggled with service errors, affecting the set's flow and momentum.

Mount Mercy dominated the final set from the outset, jumping out to a 10-3 lead with consecutive kills from Acklin and Raphael Massara, and a service ace by Xavier Gamayo. UHSP's errors, including Grant Hoover's attack misfires, added to Mount Mercy's lead. Bauer continued to facilitate scoring, notching multiple assists, including the match-clinching kill by Massara. The Mustangs closed the set with a commanding 25-15 win.

Acklin led with 18 kills on 38 swings, significantly contributing to the offense with 21 points. Bauer orchestrated the attack with 50 assists, driving Mount Mercy's playmaking. Toth added 12 kills, tallying 15.5 points to boost the score. Struska excelled defensively, gathering 18 digs over the four sets.

For the Eutechtics, Dilks showcased his playmaking with 37 assists. Cameron Werner led in kills with 10 on a .421 hitting percentage, significantly aiding the offense. Hoover stood out, amassing 16.5 points through 13 kills and four blocks, solidifying his net presence. Cooper Hansen added nine kills with a .292 hitting percentage and contributed defensively with a block assist. Gamayo anchored the defense with 13 digs, providing vital support in the backcourt.

Mount Mercy boasts a record of 12-2 overall and 8-2 in conference play, while UHSP holds a 7-9 overall record and 4-6 in conference action.

Next up for Mount Mercy is a matchup against William Penn on Tuesday, March 10, at 7 p.m. in Oskaloosa, Iowa.