OLATHE, KANSAS –Grand View Women's Volleyball defeated Heart of America Conference rival, MidAmerica Nazarene University in another thrilling five-set contest. Continuing their Kansas tour, the Vikings stopped in Olathe on Saturday to secure a win as they near the end of regular season play. Set scores were 24-26, 25-17, 21-25, 25-14, and 15-13.

The first set featured an early battle for control, with the Pioneers pulling slightly ahead mid-way through. Thanks to Brooklyn Roder's impressive performance, with seven kills, the Vikings kept pace and briefly took the lead nearing the end of the set. Although stats showed a balanced contest, MidAmerica ultimately closed out the set, 26-24.

Grand View came out strong in the second set, maintaining a steady lead throughout to win 25-17. Brooklyn Roder and Kaylee Stalder led the offense with three kills each. The Vikings also improved their blocking success and saw a major boost from the service line, with Jenna Bentz delivering three of the team's five aces and Chevy Wagner-Chun adding one to close the set. 

The third set saw Grand View trailing MidAmerica from start to finish. Despite achieving a higher hitting percentage and spreading the offense with seven players recording kills, the Vikings fell, 25-21. Kaylee Stalder made her presence known late in the set, adding two kills and a solo block in the last six points. 

In the fourth set, the Vikings' strategy clicked as they powered past the Pioneers 25-14. Strong hitting from Kaylee Stalder and Brooklyn Roder led the team's best hitting percentage of the match at .290. The team's success was highlighted by three service aces, twelve kills, two blocks, and capitalization on Pioneer errors. 

Grand View finished strong in the final set, hitting .269 and minimizing errors to best the Pioneers and take the victory 15-13. Sydney Beasley led the offense with three kills, while Ellie Dougherty and Brooklyn Roder each contributed two. Two blocks in the set featured Jenna Bentz, including the decisive solo block that sealed the match. Grand View now stands at 12-5 in conference play with one regular season game remaining.

GAME NOTES

• Brooklyn Roder recorded 17 kills with a .277 hitting percentage, followed by Kaylee Stalder with 14 kills on a .344 hitting percentage. 
• Jenna Bentz displayed her versatility, leading the team in assists (48), blocks (6), and service aces (3).
• Grand View combined for a .236 hitting percentage, 9 service aces, and 10 blocks.
• Four Vikings reached double digit digs, led by Maiah Kalima-Izumi with 20, followed by Chevy Wagner-Chun (18), Anna Takushi (13), and Clarissa Hasty (13).

UP NEXT
The Vikings will travel to Oskaloosa, Iowa to face William Penn University in their final regular season match on Tuesday, November 5^th, at 7:00 p.m.