OMAHA, Neb. – Warrior Volleyball made a statement with a reverse sweep of No. 17 College of Saint Mary (Neb.) to open the 2024 campaign. After dropping the first two sets, LC State rallied to take down a top NAIA team on its home court.
"Proud of the fight tonight against a really tough opponent," Head Coach Katie Palmer said. "College of Saint Mary tested us in every area of the game, and we responded. Our middles got up as an offensive threat and made some great block moves to slow down the ball defensively. Pair that with Natany leading the match with digs and we were able to come out on top. Now, it's time to recover for another tough GPAC opponent."
The Warriors held the Flames to a .118 attack percentage, including a -.027 mark in the fourth set. Juliauna Forgach Aguilar picked up where she left off last season with a match-high 22 kills to go with a contest-best 22 digs by Natany Felix Guimaraes. Abbey Neff dished out a career-high 29 assists in the match. Middle blockers Missy Mortensen and Abby Beaton combined for 17 kills and each assisted on three blocks.
HOW IT HAPPENED
Beaton tallied the first Warrior kill of the season to help LC State out to a 3-1 advantage early in the first set, but the Flames quickly took control to pull away 14-6. Kills by Hallie Seaman and Mortensen brought LC back within four, 15-11, but CSM closed out the set 25-19 to start the match.
Set two was an even match before back-to-back service aces by Neff put the Warriors in front 9-7. A rally by College of Saint Mary had the Flames up 23-16 before costly errors and a kill by Forgach Aguilar cut the margin to 23-20. CSM tallied two in a row to take a 2-0 lead in the match.
The Warriors turned the tables in the third set. After falling behind 2-1, kills by Forgach Aguilar and Beaton had LC with one at 4-3. CSM again rallied to pull ahead 16-9 before LC State put its feet on the gas. Forgach Aguilar notched a kill after a timeout, and a block by Anna Merrill and Beaton paired with an ace by Esther Kailiponi to make it 16-12. The Flames struck again, by three straight kills by Forgach Aguilar, Felix Guimaraes and Merrill made it 17-15.
LC State trailed 22-18 as the set progressed before a six-point rally by the Warriors in front. Kills by Beaton, Forgach Aguilar and Seaman helped push LC in ahead 24-22 before a swing by Forgach Aguilar gave the Warriors their first set win of the season.
The momentum carried into the fourth set as kills by Beaton and Forgach Aguilar gave the Warriors an early 6-1 advantage. Hannah Dotson dealt a service ace and Beaton added a kill to make it 10-3. Taylor Boyce notched a kill before assisting on a block with Mortensen, and a swing by Forgach Aguilar capped a 6-1 run for a 16-5 lead.
CSM struck for six straight points, but the Warriors were not phased. LC State rattled off three straight of their own with kills by Forgach Aguilar and Kailiponi, as well as a block by Boyse and Beaton, for a 22-13 lead. Kills by Merrill and Seaman helped the Warriors fight off a Flames comeback by a set score of 25-23.
LC State regained control with a 6-1 lead to start the fifth and deciding set. Mortensen and Forgach Aguilar went back-to-back with kills to get things going. LC State ended the match with four straight points after CSM pulled within one at 11-10. Mortensen tallied a pair of kills and Boyce ended the match with one of her own at 15-10.
Forgach Aguilar led the match with her 22 kills and Mortensen added nine on a .400 attack percentage. She had just one error on 20 swings. Beaton added eight kills in her Warrior debut with a .278 clip. Mortensen and Beaton each assisted on three blocks.
Neff commanded the offense with a career-best 29 assists and team-high two aces, and Kailiponi dealt 16 assists. Felix Guimaraes tallied 22 digs and Makenzie Stout collected 10.
UP NEXT
The Warriors continue the road trip with a matchup with No. 4 Concordia (Neb.) on Friday. The contest in Seward, Neb., is slated for 4:30 p.m. PT.
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