No. 20 Warriors Split Day One of CSM Labor Day Classic in Five-Set Thrillers

OMAHA, Neb. – No. 20 Midland University traveled to Omaha for the CSM Labor Day Classic. On Friday morning, the Warriors faced the College of Idaho inside the Lied Fitness Center on the College of Saint Mary campus. The match went five sets, with Midland earning a 3-2 victory in the first game. In the second game of the day, the Warriors battled back from a 0-2 start to tie it 2-2, forcing a fifth set, but fell 15-12 to Bethel. Midland split day one of the CSM Labor Day Classic.

Midland 3, College of Idaho 2
The Yotes opened the first set with back-to-back points, 2-0. Abree Plueger recorded consecutive kills, followed by an attack error and a service ace from Brena Mackling, putting the Warriors on the board, 4-2. An attack error by Midland and a block from College of Idaho tied the set at 4-4. Lauren Jones tallied back-to-back kills to give Midland momentum and an 18-14 lead. College of Idaho responded with consecutive kills before Midland went on a 4-0 run to extend its lead to 22-16. The Yotes closed the gap to 23-20 with a block and a Midland error, but Plueger delivered back-to-back kills to close out the 25-20 win.

Set two began with a 4-0 Yotes run before a service error put Midland on the board. The teams traded points until College of Idaho went on a 6-0 run to lead 15-6. Plueger ended Midland's drought with a kill, but the Yotes extended their lead to 21-10 with another 6-2 spurt. Midland battled back with a kill from Jones and forced two Idaho errors, but the Yotes held on for a 25-17 win, tying the match 1-1.

In set three, the Yotes opened with a block, but Macey Jackson tied it at 1-1 with a kill. The teams remained even to 15-15 before Snyder and Delainey Cast sparked Midland with a kill and service ace for a 17-15 lead, prompting an Idaho timeout. After trading points, Midland extended its advantage to 21-17 with a Yotes error and a Plueger kill. Back-to-back blocks gave Midland a 23-18 edge before Plueger sealed the set 25-20, giving Midland a 2-1 lead.

Set four started with a Mackling service ace, but the Yotes went on a 4-0 run. A block by Cameran Jansky and two Idaho errors tied it at 6-6. College of Idaho pulled ahead 17-11, but Midland fought back with a service error and consecutive blocks from Abby Spidle and Snyder to make it 17-14. Later, a Plueger kill and a block from Jansky and Plueger tied the set at 19-19. The Yotes capitalized on a Midland service error late to win 25-22, forcing a fifth set.

In set five, the Yotes struck first, but Jones evened it at 1-1. After a Yotes kill and two errors, Snyder delivered a kill for a 4-2 lead. Jones and Spidle combined for a block before the Yotes tied it at 6-6 with a 4-1 run. The teams traded points to 12-12 before Midland called timeout. After a Yotes error, Snyder delivered consecutive kills to clinch the 15-13 win. Midland took the match 3-2.

Plueger led Midland with 25 kills, while Snyder added 12. The Warriors totaled 57 kills. Mackling had 23 assists, with Jaysa Wentzlaff adding 19.

Bethel 3, Midland 2
Bethel opened the first set with a kill, and Plueger responded. Midland went on a 3-0 run with a kill from Snyder, a Plueger kill, and a service ace from Lily Bolden to take a 5-3 lead. Bethel quickly tied it and later went on a 6-0 run to lead 16-14. Midland fought back with kills from Snyder and Macey Jackson, a Bolden service ace, and a Bethel error to take 18-16, but the Threshers responded with a 9-1 run to win 25-19.

Set two began with a 5-1 Bethel run, and Midland countered with a 4-2 spurt led by Plueger, a Jansky block, and back-to-back Jones kills to make it 6-5. Midland went on a 10-4 run to lead 15-11, but Bethel closed the set on a 7-0 run to win 25-23 and take a 2-0 match lead.

In set three, Midland opened with a 5-3 run. After trading points to 12-12, Midland went on a 6-0 run with a Spidle kill and consecutive aces from Sydney Guthard. Bethel rallied late to 24-23, but a block from Plueger and Spidle and a kill from Hutson Rau secured a 26-24 win.

Set four started with a 5-0 Midland run. Bethel battled back with a 4-1 run, but Midland extended its lead to 18-10 behind kills from Snyder and Spidle, a Rau kill, a Threshers error, and a Sheppard service ace. Bethel cut the lead to three before Midland closed out the set 25-20 to force a fifth.

In the decisive set, Bethel opened with a 4-0 run. Midland responded with consecutive Thresher errors, but Bethel surged 6-1 to build a 10-3 lead. Midland fought back with a 4-0 run including kills from Rau and Jansky and a Mackling ace to close within 14-12. Bethel sealed the 15-12 win on a Midland service error.

Snyder led Midland with 21 kills, followed by Jones with 10. Midland totaled 51 kills to Bethel's 54.

Midland (3-4) will face Benedictine (1-2) and The Master's (5-1) on Saturday to wrap up the CSM Labor Day Classic. Matches are scheduled for 9 a.m. and 3 p.m. Aug. 30 in Omaha.