Leavenworth, Kan.- The University of Saint Mary Volleyball team hosted Bethany College and Peru State for a doubleheader Saturday. The Spires emerged victorious in both games, beating each of their opponents in four sets.

Game One

Set one against the Swedes was a close contest that never got out of control for either team. The Spires took the lead in the early stages of the seta after a kill from Jordan Knipp, making it 4-3. Saint Mary held onto that lead for the rest of the set, but Bethany matched the pace of offensive output and kept it close to the very end, even tying up things at 17-17 towards the end. However, the Spires held on and took the first set, 25-22.

The second set was more like what we have usually seen from the Saint Mary this season, going on an early run, creating a comfortable lead, then shutting the door on opponents. A 7-2 run that was sparked by a kill from Keagan Shockley got the Spires off and running. Another run came later in the set that extended the Saint Mary lead to eight points, making it 16-8. The Spires raced to a 25-12 win in set two and a commanding 2-0 lead over Bethany. In the third, Saint Mary came up just short after trailing for the majority of the set and not being able to mount a late comeback, losing 25-22 and making it 2-1 overall. The final set was much like the first, with the Spires taking an early lead but not being able to completely pull away from Bethany. Ainsley Gardner put the set and game one away for Saint Mary with back-to-back kills to make the final 25-22. Shockley led Saint Mary with 15 kills in game one, while Haydan Heuermann had 30 assists against the Swedes.

Game Two

The final game of the day turned out to be the best of the day. Both teams refused to give an inch, with sets one and two going down as wins for Saint Mary. The Spires were in the lead for a majority of the first set. Peru State went on a late run to try and force overtime, but two kills from Madison Folsom wrapped things up in set one with a final of 25-21. Saint Mary had another early lead in set two as well, but the Bobcats did not go down without a fight and kept the contest close. Another late run for Peru State was spoiled by costly errors, and soon the Spires were up 2-0 on the Bobcats.

In set three, the Bobcats caught the Spires completely off guard, going on a 13-1 run to start the set. Saint Mary did not recover from this and dropped the third set 24-18. The Spires turned things around in the fourth and final set of the night. Saint Mary went on a 12-2 run of their own to take a comfortable 17-7 lead on the Bobcats. The run featured two service aces from Gabby Kurle and two kills from Michelle Dvorak. Saint Mary cruised to a 25-11 win over Peru State and a 3-1 win overall. Offensively, the Spires were led by Folsom and Shockley with 11 kills in game two. On defense, Laney Ward led the team with 20 digs in game two.

Up Next

The Spires with travel just up the road Tuesday night for a matchup with Benedictine College in Atchison, Kansas, at 7 p.m.