Women's Volleyball Falls in Five Games to Grand View

Marshall, Mo., (Sept. 16, 2023)- The Missouri Valley College women's volleyball team hosted Grand View (Iowa) in a Heart of America Athletic Conference match Saturday afternoon inside the Burns Athletic Complex.  Missouri Valley went the distance, but fell in five games by scores of 22-25, 26-24, 25-19, 22-25, 13-15.

The first game started with Missouri Valley going in front early, as Junior Setter Lynsey Day (Kingman, Ariz.) put down an ace and Junior Outside Hitter Jisell Chumacero (Greeley, Colo.) finished off a kill to put the team on top, 4-0.  Grand View won the next three points, while Junior Outside Hitter Maria Bertholdo (Rio de Janeiro, Brazil) added one kill to help keep MVC ahead, 6-3.  Chumacero and Junior Outside Hitter Juliana Oliviera (Ribeirao Preto, Brazil) each had one kill to push the lead out to 9-4.  Missouri Valley gradually added to its lead, as Bertholdo had one kill, Oliviera and Junior Middle Blocker Emma Schulte (Marshall, Mo.) teamed up for a block, and Junior Setter Mencia Rodriguez Medio (Gijon, Spain) finished off an ace to make it a 12-5 score.  The advantage for MVC sat at 14-8, but was followed by a rally from Grand View.  Six of the next seven points were won by GVU to trim the deficit down to 15-14.  Chumacero landed an ace as Missouri Valley won three of the next four points to stay on top, 18-15.  The two teams traded the next series of points, and the MVC advantage was 21-19 late in the game.  Grand View then won three-straight to pull ahead for the first time, 22-21.  Chumacero and Senior Outside Hitter Ksenija Simun (Kotor, Montenegro) teamed up on a block to tie the score, but GVU won the final three points to take the first game, 25-22.

The two teams traded points to open the second game, which featured two kills from Oliviera and one kill from Bertholdo as MVC trailed, 6-5.  Grand View won three-straight points to build up a 9-5 lead, but Simun and Bertholdo each landed one kill to help Missouri Valley cut the gap to 9-8.  The MVC deficit grew from there, as Grand View won five of the next six points to hold a 14-9 advantage.  Oliviera finished off back-to-back kills, but GVU won four-straight points to make it an 18-11 score.  Missouri Valley eventually trailed, 20-14, in the game before working its way back.  Oliviera finished off one kill, while Simun landed another kill and teamed up with Schulte on a block to trail, 20-18.  Grand View eventually held a late 23-19 lead, then reached game-point at 24-22.  Oliviera extended the game with one kill, followed by an error from GVU to even the teams at 24-24.  Missouri Valley earned game-point on a kill from Bertholdo, and a fourth-straight point was won on another Bertholdo kill to end the comeback and give MVC a 26-24 win in the game.

With the teams tied at 1-1 in games, Missouri Valley started the third game with an early lead, helped by two kills from Bertholdo, and one kill each from Day and Oliviera to give the team a 6-2 advantage.  Missouri Valley gradually increased its lead to 12-5 after another Simun kill.  An ace from Simun made it a 15-9 score, and Day finished off one kill, followed by two-straight errors from GVU to put the lead at 20-13.  Missouri Valley kept its distance from Grand View through the rest of the game, and Bertholdo made it game-point with a kill.  Oliviera ended a 25-19 win in the game for MVC with a kill, and Missouri Valley led, 2-1, in games won.

Missouri Valley jumped out to another lead early in the fourth game, as Bertholdo had three kills, and both Chumacero and Oliviera added one kill apiece to put the team in front, 8-3.  Grand View answered back and won five-straight to tie the score at 8-8.  Simun and Day each put down one kill to move MVC ahead, 11-9, but GVU won three-straight to grab a 12-11 advantage.  The two teams traded runs through the next stretch of play, and a Bertholdo kill helped Missouri Valley go on top, 18-17.  Grand View answered with five-straight points to move ahead, 22-18.  Schulte finished off a block to get MVC to within a 23-21 deficit late, but Grand View won the game, 25-22, and send the match into a fifth game.

Grand View took control early, winning five of the opening six points to make it a 5-1 score at the start of the fifth game.  Missouri Valley answered back, and won six of seven points, including two kills from Bertholdo, one kill from Oliviera and a block from Day and Schulte to put MVC in front, 7-6.  Simun landed one kill to push the lead out to 10-8.  Grand View responded and won five-straight points to pull ahead, 13-10.  Missouri Valley tried to extend the game, and won three of the next four points, to trail 14-13.  However, Grand View finished out the game with a 15-13 win to take the match.

Bertholdo had a team-high 18 kills to go with eight digs.  Oliviera earned a double-double of 16 kills and 20 digs, while Simun added a double-double of 11 kills and 10 digs.  Day totaled 47 assists and nine digs.  Junior Libero Momoko Yokoyama (Tokyo, Japan) led with 24 digs.  Missouri Valley had seven blocks and six aces as a team.

Missouri Valley drops to 6-8 overall and 1-2 in the Heart.  Grand View improves to 2-9 on the season and 2-1 in conference play.

Up next, the Viking women's soccer team will host No. 20 Central Methodist (Mo.) in a Heart match, Tuesday at 7 p.m., inside the Burns Athletic Complex.

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About Missouri Valley College

Known for its dynamic, richly diverse, and friendly educational environment, Missouri Valley College offers many opportunities to grow in mind, body, and spirit. Grounded in the liberal arts, undergraduate studies empower students to master interdisciplinary skills needed to succeed in a knowledge-based global society. MVC offers over 30 academic programs, study abroad program, extracurricular activities, and a wide variety of sports. The most popular majors include education and business, criminal justice and exercise science. Above all, Valley is committed to student success. For more information, call (660) 831-4000 or visit www.moval.edu.