Graceland Battles Hard but Falls to Mount Mercy in Four-Set Contest

Lamoni, Iowa - The Graceland University Yellowjackets dropped a hard-fought match against Mount Mercy University, losing 3-1 in a four-set battle at the Morden Center on Saturday. Despite showing resilience and flashes of excellence throughout the match, the Yellowjackets were unable to hold off a determined Mustangs team that pulled away with scores of 25-23, 23-25, 25-19, and 25-21.

Graceland opened the first set with strong blocking and defensive pressure, forcing multiple attack errors from Mount Mercy early on. A kill from middle blocker Ella Thomas put the Yellowjackets ahead 4-2. However, the Mustangs responded quickly, leveraging their high-powered attack led by Jenna Brown, who recorded 14 kills with a hitting percentage of .464. Graceland kept the set tight but ultimately fell short, losing 25-23 despite multiple critical kills from outside hitter Brenna Crabtree.

The Yellowjackets bounced back in the second set, displaying improved offensive efficiency and aggressive serving. Crabtree, who led the team with 24 kills on 46 total attempts, sparked Graceland's offense, supported by setter Hailey Kauweloa's 19 assists. Middle hitter Kaylee Baker also contributed key blocks, combining with Crabtree and Kylee Dixon for 16 block assists throughout the match. Graceland maintained its lead through the latter part of the set and closed it out 25-23.

Momentum swung in Mount Mercy's favor during the third set, as the Mustangs found success through Brown and outside hitter Ellie Gerdes, who finished with 12 kills and a .333 hitting percentage. Graceland struggled with ball control, suffering seven attack errors and falling behind early. Despite efforts from Crabtree and Baker, the Yellowjackets dropped the set 25-19.

The fourth set followed a similar pattern, with Graceland competing hard but ultimately unable to contain Mount Mercy's balanced offense. The Mustangs capitalized on Graceland's serve-receive struggles, building a five-point lead midway through the set. Kills from Crabtree and Grace Jensen helped narrow the deficit late, but Mount Mercy held firm to take the set 25-21, sealing the match victory.

Head Coach Stew McDole reflected on the team's performance, stating, "Another match with a lot of high-level volleyball. With a couple of breaks, we could still be playing. The hardest thing to get a young team to do is stay the course when the win/loss column doesn't reflect the level of play that is being put out. This team hasn't wavered."

Graceland had notable individual performances across the board. In addition to Crabtree's 24 kills, Jensen chipped in with nine kills on 32 attempts, while Baker added five kills and led the team in blocks with six. Libero Shelby Jabour contributed defensively with 22 digs, while setter Kariana Hernandez Cruz had 16 assists and four digs.

Despite the loss, the Yellowjackets showed improvements in various aspects of their game, particularly in their defensive structure and offensive consistency. However, serve-receive errors and a total of 11 service errors were critical factors that hampered their efforts against a disciplined Mount Mercy squad.

The defeat brings Graceland's season record to 1-14 overall and 0-6 in conference play. Mount Mercy improved to 8-11 and 4-1 in the conference with the victory.

Graceland will look to rebound as they return to action on October 1, 2024, hosting Peru State College at the Morden Center. The match is set for 7 p.m.