Graceland Women’s Volleyball Swept by Culver-Stockton in Road Match
CANTON, Mo. – The Graceland University women's volleyball team fell in a 3-0 decision (25-18, 25-19, 25-19) to Culver-Stockton College on Thursday night at Charles Field House. With the result, Graceland moves to 4-11 overall and 0-4 in the Heart of America Athletic Conference (Heart), while Culver-Stockton improves to 5-6 overall and 1-3 in conference play.
Graceland finished the match with 29 kills on 97 total attempts, hitting .082 as a team. The Yellowjackets recorded 27 assists, 30 digs, and 10 total blocks across three sets. Culver-Stockton countered with 35 kills on 88 swings for a .239 hitting percentage, along with 33 assists, 41 digs, and 11 total blocks.
The Yellowjackets' offense was led by outside hitter Kaylee Baker, who registered nine kills on 14 attempts with no errors for a .643 hitting percentage. Baker also added five block assists to finish with 11.5 points. Outside hitter Grace Jensen contributed seven kills on 26 swings, while opposite hitter Kaci Young chipped in seven kills on 20 attempts.
Setter Kariana Hernandez Cr. guided the attack with nine assists and added one service ace, while defensive specialist Shaeniah La Fountain collected a team-high 12 digs. Setter Allison Sander distributed eight assists and tallied four digs, while libero Kylee Dixon added two kills and two digs from the back row.
Graceland's blocking unit played a strong role in the match. The Yellowjackets finished with 10 block assists, led by Baker's five. Jensen, Young, and Evie Caresia each recorded two block assists, while Jenthe Van Kastel added one.
Culver-Stockton's offense was paced by outside hitter Victoria Pollard, who recorded 11 kills on 26 attempts for a .231 percentage. Outside hitter Zoe Irvin added seven kills, while outside hitter Jetzabelle Rivera produced seven kills on 13 swings for a .538 hitting clip. Middle hitter Faith Hopgood added four kills with one solo block.
Setter Lauren Bloom directed the Wildcats' attack with 16 assists and a team-best six service aces, while setter Sam Wright tallied nine assists. Defensively, libero Jaysie Baez collected 11 digs to anchor the back row.
The match opened with Graceland competing point-for-point early in the first set, but Culver-Stockton pulled away behind efficient hitting from Pollard and Rivera. Graceland posted 12 kills in the frame, led by Jensen and Young, but eight attack errors limited their scoring output. The Wildcats secured the set 25-18.
In the second set, Baker provided an offensive spark with three kills and a block, while Young added three kills of her own. Graceland registered nine kills as a team in the frame, but six attack errors and three service errors allowed Culver-Stockton to build separation. The Wildcats recorded 14 kills in the set, with Pollard and Irvin combining for seven. Culver-Stockton claimed the set 25-19.
The third set remained close through the midway point as Baker, Jensen, and Young continued to supply offense. Baker added four kills and three block assists in the frame, while Hernandez Cr. distributed five assists. Graceland totaled eight kills in the set but committed seven attack errors, finishing with a .033 hitting percentage. Culver-Stockton tallied 10 kills and used three service aces from Bloom to close out the match 25-19.
For the contest, Graceland produced 38 total points on kills, blocks, and aces. Baker led all Yellowjackets with 11.5 points, followed by Jensen and Young with 7.5 each. Hernandez Cr. and Madi Bratlie added two points apiece, while La Fountain contributed three points on service aces and digs.
Graceland's service game registered four aces, with Hernandez Cr., Bratlie, and La Fountain each contributing. However, the Yellowjackets committed eight service errors, compared to nine by Culver-Stockton.
Culver-Stockton outperformed in several statistical categories, finishing with a 41-30 advantage in digs, 35-29 in kills, and 49-38 in total points. The Wildcats' eight service aces also created separation in key stretches of each set.
With the loss, Graceland remains winless in Heart of America play. The Yellowjackets have faced a challenging start to the conference slate, with each of their four Heart losses coming in straight sets.
Graceland will look to regroup and defend home court in its next contest. The Yellowjackets are scheduled to host Central Methodist University on Friday, Sept. 19, at 7:00 p.m. CDT inside Morden Center in Lamoni, Iowa.
For more information on Graceland women's volleyball and all of Graceland athletics, visit GUjackets.com.