Mustangs Sweep Clarke to Close Regular Season with Convincing Win

CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa - Mount Mercy University women's volleyball closed its regular season with a straight-sets victory over Clarke University (25-15, 25-15, 25-11) Friday night at Hennessey Recreation Center. The win improved the Mustangs to 13-12 overall and 8-10 in the Heart of America Athletic Conference, while Clarke fell to 2-27 and 0-18 in league play.

Mount Mercy posted a .227 team hitting percentage and outperformed the Pride in nearly every statistical category. The Mustangs recorded 37 kills on 110 total attacks and limited Clarke to just a .009 clip with 23 kills and 22 errors on 113 attempts.

Hallie Bedier led the attack with 10 kills on 18 swings for a .500 hitting percentage. Ellie Gerdes matched Bedier with 10 kills of her own, hitting .400 with only two errors on 20 attempts. Setter Maddie Marquardt directed the offense with 18 assists and added two service aces, while Delaney Rhoden contributed 14 assists and six digs.

Mount Mercy's front line proved effective at the net, finishing with 13 total blocks, including five assists from Sam Schrage and four from Alivia Arsenault. Schrage also added five kills on 11 attempts without an error for a .455 efficiency. Arsenault contributed four kills and four block assists for six points.

Defensively, Brooke Ellyson anchored the Mustangs with 15 digs and three service aces. Mary Kate Bendlage chipped in 12 digs and five kills, while Kate Wright and Eryn Jackson added eight and six digs, respectively. The Mustangs held Clarke without an ace until the second set and forced six service errors.

Mount Mercy established control early in the first set with a 10-5 lead following a pair of Bedier kills assisted by Rhoden. The Mustangs capitalized on two service aces from Wright and Ellyson to stretch the margin to 18-10 before closing the frame 25-15 behind Schrage's fifth kill.

In the second set, Marquardt's steady service run fueled a 6-1 rally, highlighted by consecutive blocks from Schrage and Arsenault to push the Mustangs ahead 13-8. Clarke burned both timeouts but could not slow the Mount Mercy offense, which tallied 10 kills in the frame despite six errors. Bedier closed the set with a kill from Rhoden to seal another 25-15 win.

Mount Mercy sustained its rhythm in the third, jumping to a 7-1 lead following kills from Bedier, Gerdes, and Bendlage. Jackson's service ace made it 8-1, and Bendlage followed with another ace during a 5-0 run. Gerdes and Arsenault combined for four kills over the final 10 rallies to finish the sweep 25-11.

The Mustangs recorded nine service aces and only six errors from the line, while Clarke managed just one ace with six miscues. Mount Mercy also posted 63 team digs to Clarke's 53, reflecting a consistent defensive presence throughout the match.

Clarke was led by Keely Colyer, who tallied 10 kills on 36 attempts, while setter Kortney Harms added seven assists and 12 digs. The Pride hit negative in two of three sets and committed 22 total attack errors.

The victory gives Mount Mercy momentum heading into the postseason as the Mustangs await their seeding for the Heart of America Conference Tournament.