DES MOINES, IOWA – The Vikings hosted Benedictine in the Quarterfinals of the Heart of America Conference Tournament on Friday evening. Grand View, the top seed, showcased their championship mettle with a hard-fought 3-1 victory to advance in the conference tournament and improve to 28-3 overall and 18-1 in conference play.

The match started with both teams trading points early in the first set. Benedictine jumped out to a 2-0 lead with a service ace and an attack error. Vitoria Campos Mello got the Vikings on the board with a kill assisted by Juliana Neves. After falling behind 5-3, the Vikings found their rhythm.

Aydia Mayotte ignited a crucial run from the service line. Her service ace tied the match at 5-5, and the Vikings never looked back. Campos Mello took over offensively with back-to-back kills, and the Vikings extended their lead to 9-5 thanks to attack errors by the Ravens. The run showcased Grand View's ability to capitalize on momentum shifts.

Benedictine fought to stay close, cutting the deficit multiple times, but the Vikings' balanced attack proved too much. Mariana de Carvalho and Ellie Dougherty added kills to keep the pressure on. With the score at 20-12, Benedictine called a timeout to regroup. Kennedy Brown came up huge from the service line following the timeout, serving during a run that saw Jocelyn Barrett and de Carvalho finish at the net. Grand View closed out the first set 25-19, hitting an impressive .393 with just two errors.

The second set was a back-and-forth battle. Grand View started strong with de Carvalho and Campos Mello securing early kills. Mayotte delivered another service ace to give the Vikings a 6-5 lead. The set featured multiple lead changes and ties as both teams fought for control.

Benedictine tied the match at 20-20, forcing Grand View to dig deep. The Vikings responded with poise. Barrett came through with a kill, and de Carvalho added another to give Grand View a 22-21 advantage. After a Benedictine timeout, the Vikings held strong. Two more kills by de Carvalho sealed the set 25-22, and Grand View took a commanding 2-0 match lead.

Set three turned into an epic battle. The set featured 15 ties and 10 lead changes, with neither team able to pull away. Campos Mello opened with a kill and a service ace to give Grand View an early 2-0 lead, but Benedictine stormed back to take a 5-2 advantage.

The Vikings clawed back behind strong play from de Carvalho and Dougherty. Maiah Kalima-Izumi came up with two service aces during a crucial stretch that gave Grand View a 14-11 lead. Benedictine refused to go away, tying the set at 16-16.

The teams traded blows down the stretch. With the score tied at 24-24, Barrett delivered a clutch kill to give Grand View set point at 25-24. Benedictine answered with a kill by Bridget O'Sullivan to tie it again. The drama continued as the teams battled through multiple set points. Finally, at 30-30, Benedictine scored back-to-back points to take the marathon set 32-30 and cut Grand View's lead to 2-1.

Facing adversity for the first time in the match, the Vikings came out determined in the fourth set. After falling behind 4-0, Grand View called an early timeout to regroup. The adjustment worked perfectly.

The Vikings exploded for a 9-0 run to take control. Barrett, Neves, and Campos Mello dominated at the net, while Mayotte and Neves were exceptional from the service line. Neves delivered a service ace and a kill during the surge. The run turned a 6-2 deficit into an 11-6 Grand View advantage.

Grand View continued to pour it on. Dougherty and Brooklyn Roder added kills to extend the lead. With the Vikings up 16-10, Benedictine used their final timeout, but it couldn't stop the momentum. Campos Mello was unstoppable down the stretch with multiple kills. Mayotte closed out the match from the service line, recording a service ace and assisting on the final two kills by de Carvalho. Grand View dominated the fourth set 25-14 to secure the 3-1 match victory.

The Vikings' offense was firing on all cylinders throughout the match. Grand View hit .285 as a team with 64 kills and just 17 errors in 165 total attacks. The Vikings also recorded 14 service aces compared to just nine service errors, showcasing their aggressive serving game.

MATCH NOTES

• Vitoria Campos Mello led all players with 21 kills on a .275 hitting percentage, adding 18 digs and 22.5 points
• Mariana de Carvalho recorded 16 kills with a .222 hitting percentage, 9 digs, and 2 service aces
• Juliana Neves orchestrated the offense with 47 assists while adding 4 kills, and 2 service aces
• Ellie Dougherty contributed 10 kills on a .229 hitting percentage with 8 digs
• Jocelyn Barrett posted 9 kills on an impressive .444 hitting percentage and led the team with 4 total blocks
• Maiah Kalima-Izumi anchored the defense with a match-high 23 digs and added a team-high 4 service aces
• Kennedy Brown had 2 service aces and 6 digs
• Aydia Mayotte recorded 3 service aces
• Grand View improved to 28-3 overall and 18-1 in Heart of America Conference play
• The Vikings advance to the semifinals of the HEART Conference Tournament

UP NEXT

Grand View will host Park University in the Heart Semifinal matchup. That game will be at 5:00 PM on Tuesday, November 11th.