No. 10 Warriors Drop Tournament Rematch to No. 14 Jamestown

FREMONT, Neb. – For the second straight day, it was a rematch from the 2022 NAIA National Championship for No. 10-ranked Midland University as it hosted the No. 14-ranked University of Jamestown. In the highly anticipated rematch of the national semifinals, it was the Jimmies getting the better of the Warriors once again, this time in straight sets (25-19, 25-15, 29-27).

The defending national champions started out hot, earning the first five points of the match. They used that quick start as they kept Midland at arm's length during the first set. The Warriors battled to within a pair of points at a couple of junctures, the last coming at 14-12. Jamestown closed out the opening frame on an 11-7 run, winning 25-19.

In the second set, the Jimmies once again gained separation early on. A 7-2 lead, which led to a timeout from the Midland sideline, continued to grow as the set progressed. A four-point run in the late stages put Jamestown in front by ten, 21-11, as they cruised to the 25-15 win.

Down but not out, the Warriors continued to show fight during the third set. They played even through the first few points, not allowing themselves to fall into an unsurmountable hole. The teams were tied at 10-10 ahead of a surge by Midland that gave them a 21-15 lead.

Jamestown fought back, using a three-point run to cut the deficit in half. Then, after trading a few points, Midland found itself on set point, 24-20. With their backs against the wall, the Jimmies rallied back to tie the set at 24-24. Try as they might, the Warriors couldn't get over the hump as they missed out on five chances on set point.

A two-point run put the Jimmies on set point and then after one final tie at 27-27, they closed out the match with back-to-back points, winning 29-27.

For the match, Midland hit just .071 on the attack (27 kills with 19 errors on 113 chances). Jamestown, meanwhile, hit .286 offensively with 51 kills against 17 errors on 119 swings. The Warriors hitting percentage was the lowest of the season.

Jacki Apel was the lone player for MU to reach double-digit in kills with 10. Lauren Williams had 7 while Cortlyn Schaefer was held to 4.

Brena Mackling paced the setter group with 13 assists while Brielle Power finished with 7 and Hailee Martinez had 5.

Defensively at the net, Midland had 8 total blocks with Ringler and Mosier getting in on three assists each. In the back row, Delanie Vallinch had 12 digs to lead the team.

"We got off to a poor start against the defending national champions and just couldn't recover," said head coach Paul Giesselmann after the match. "I think the players were disappointed in their play during the first two sets. I liked how the team continued to play hard in the third, and had chances. Up 24-20, we have to learn how to finish. We have a great opportunity this week to get a lot done in practice. I'm looking forward to seeing how we respond."

Midland (9-9, 5-5 GPAC) will look to move back above the .500 mark next when they travel to take on Dordt (3-13, 2-8 GPAC). The Saturday afternoon match is scheduled for a 3:00 p.m. start time in Sioux Center, Iowa on October 14.