Mustangs Battle Ranked Vikings in Four-Set Conference Loss

DES MOINES, Iowa - The Mount Mercy University women's volleyball team dropped a four-set match to No. 8 Grand View University on Friday night at the Charles S. Johnson Wellness Center. The Mustangs moved to 11-9 overall and 6-7 in Heart of America Athletic Conference play, while the Vikings improved to 23-2 overall and 13-1 in league action. Set scores were 25-14, 17-25, 25-22, and 25-18 in favor of Grand View.

Mount Mercy recorded 46 kills on a .146 hitting percentage while posting six service aces and nine total blocks. The Vikings countered with 58 kills and a .300 attack clip, adding 16 block assists and three service aces to secure the win.

Hallie Bedier led the Mustangs' attack with 15 kills on 40 swings, hitting .225 while adding six digs and one block assist for a team-high 15.5 points. Alivia Arsenault added eight kills and three digs, while Bella Dantzler finished with seven kills, one solo block, and three block assists. Setter Delaney Rhoden paced the offense with 20 assists and one kill, while Maddie Marquardt contributed 16 assists and one block assist.

Defensively, Kate Wright anchored the back row with a match-high 22 digs and two service aces. Brooklyn Miller tallied 12 digs, and Mary Kate Bendlage chipped in eight digs and seven kills. The Mustangs' front line combined for nine block assists, led by Dantzler's three.

The opening set saw Mount Mercy jump out to a 3-0 lead behind kills from Dantzler and Arsenault, but Grand View responded with a 9-2 run and maintained control throughout. Despite multiple timeouts by the Mustangs, the Vikings closed the frame on a 7-0 stretch to take the set, 25-14.

Mount Mercy responded in the second set with a composed offensive performance, posting 10 kills on a .143 hitting percentage. The Mustangs capitalized on Grand View's eight attack errors and used a 7-0 scoring run midway through the set to take command. Rhoden set the tempo with efficient distribution, while Bedier and Arsenault combined for five kills in the frame. A final kill from Dantzler sealed the 25-17 win to even the match.

In the third set, the Mustangs held an 8-5 advantage early after consecutive kills from Bedier and Bendlage, but Grand View regained momentum with a 6-1 run. The Vikings' outside hitters, led by Vitoria Campos Mello and Ellie Dougherty, converted at key points down the stretch. Despite late kills from Bedier and Dantzler, Mount Mercy fell 25-22 after back-to-back kills by Mello.

The fourth set mirrored much of the match's rhythm, as Mount Mercy opened with a 4-1 lead following an ace from Eryn Jackson. Grand View quickly rallied, taking advantage of a series of attack errors to swing the score in their favor. The Vikings' front line, anchored by Mello and Dougherty, registered multiple blocks to slow the Mustangs' offense. Bedier tallied four kills in the final set, but Grand View's efficiency at the net—hitting .333 in the frame—proved decisive in a 25-18 result.

Mount Mercy finished with 61 digs as a team and converted six service aces, including two each from Wright and Jackson. Grand View's blocking presence made the difference, totaling one solo and 16 assisted blocks while limiting Mount Mercy's attack lanes throughout the contest.

The Mustangs will return to action Saturday, Oct. 18, when they travel to face Graceland University in another Heart of America matchup. First serve is scheduled for 1 p.m. in Lamoni, Iowa.