Mustangs Secure Straight-Set Win Against Wildcats

CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa – Mount Mercy women's volleyball secured a straight-set sweep over Culver-Stockton (25-17, 25-20, 25-21) Friday night at Hennessey Recreation Center, improving to 9-3 overall and 4-1 in Heart of America Athletic Conference play.

The Mustangs relied on balanced offensive production, consistent setting, and timely defensive coverage to close out the Wildcats. Mount Mercy hit .190 as a team with 52 total kills compared to Culver-Stockton's 28.

Hallie Bedier led the attack with 14 kills on 34 swings, hitting .324 while adding one block assist. Outside hitter Mary Kate Bendlage followed closely with 12 kills and two service aces, finishing with a team-high 14.0 points. Middle hitter Sam Schrage contributed 10 kills, three total blocks, and 12.0 points.

Setter Delaney Rhoden distributed 24 assists and recorded one ace, while fellow setter Maddie Marquardt notched 18 assists and guided the offense through long scoring runs in each set. Defensive specialist Eryn Jackson anchored the back row with a match-high 17 digs. Libero Kate Wright also tallied 11 digs and added one service ace.

Mount Mercy established control in the opening set with efficient side-out play. The Mustangs built separation midway through, using consecutive kills from Bedier and Bendlage to extend the lead. A service ace by Rhoden capped a 7-1 run, forcing a Culver-Stockton timeout at 20-13. Mount Mercy closed the frame on a Bendlage kill and a Wildcat error to take it 25-17.

In the second set, the Mustangs raced to an early 8-2 lead with kills from multiple hitters, including Bendlage, Ellie Gerdes, and Alivia Arsenault. Despite a Culver-Stockton push behind Layla Lojas' five kills in the frame, Mount Mercy maintained a two-point cushion late. Schrage and Bedier combined for four kills in the closing stretch before Bendlage sealed the set, 25-20, with a kill from Marquardt.

The third set tested Mount Mercy's composure as Culver-Stockton opened with a 10-5 advantage. The Mustangs responded with a 9-2 rally highlighted by kills from Bedier and Gerdes, along with back-to-back service aces by Bendlage. Wright added another ace to push the lead to 23-16. After a late Wildcat surge trimmed the margin to 24-21, Bedier finished the match with her 14th kill.

Gerdes finished with six kills on 19 attempts and one block assist, while Arsenault and Brooke Ellyson each contributed three kills. The Mustangs totaled 96 digs, with Jackson, Bendlage (20), and Marquardt (11) all reaching double digits.

Mount Mercy held Culver-Stockton to a .078 hitting percentage. The Mustangs' block, anchored by Schrage and Bedier at the net, limited the Wildcats' middle attack. Victoria Pollard led Culver-Stockton with five kills, while setter Lael Temple distributed 16 assists and collected 12 digs. 

Mount Mercy (9-3, 4-1 Heart) returns to action Saturday, Sept. 20, hosting MidAmerica Nazarene in Cedar Rapids. First serve is scheduled for 2 p.m.