No. 9 McPherson Defends Home Court from Tigers

McPHERSON, Kan. – The Doane volleyball team was unable to slow down a red-hot McPherson squad on Saturday afternoon, falling in straight sets (11-25, 15-25, 13-25). The loss moves the Tigers to 7-5 on the season, while McPherson improved to 12-1 behind a dominant offensive performance.

The Bulldogs set the tone early, hitting an efficient .591 in the opening frame while limiting Doane to just four kills. Despite service aces from Brooke Larsen and timely swings by Brinkley McAdams, the Tigers could not match McPherson's firepower in the 25-11 setback.

Doane showed more balance in the second set, posting 10 kills on a .192 attack percentage. Mariah Sliva and McAdams sparked brief rallies, and the Tigers pulled within a few points midway through the set. However, McPherson countered with 17 kills and three service aces to secure a 25-15 win.

The Bulldogs closed out the match with another efficient outing, hitting .444 with 12 kills in the third. Doane battled with contributions from Hilary Hupp, Jenna Sweeny, and freshman setter Ashleigh Kirkendall, who dished out 13 assists, but McPherson's balance proved too much in the 25-13 finale.

McAdams led the Tigers with seven kills, while Sliva added four kills and a team-high six digs. Kirkendall tallied 13 assists and an ace, and Larsen chipped in two service aces and four digs from the back row.

As a team, Doane finished with 23 kills, six aces, and 26 digs but was held without a block. McPherson's efficiency was the difference, as the Bulldogs tallied 44 kills on a .500 attack percentage and added eight aces with six blocks.

Doane will look to regroup when the Tigers return home to open conference action next week. The Tigers will host Hastings on Wednesday, September 10, at 7:30 PM in Crete.

Final - McPherson 3, Doane 0

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