Volleyball Concludes Home Schedule with Senior Night

CRETE, Neb. – In a five-set battle at Haddix Center on Wednesday night, the Doane Tigers came up just short against Saint Mary (Neb.), falling 3–2 (23–25, 25–20, 25–17, 14–25, 6–15) in Great Plains Athletic Conference action.

Doane (12–16, 3–11 GPAC) grabbed momentum early, rallying from a tight opening frame to win the next two sets behind efficient attacking and strong defensive stretches. The Tigers hit .371 in the second set and .245 in the third, turning back multiple CSM runs to take a 2–1 lead in the match. However, Saint Mary (13–12, 6–8 GPAC) stormed back with a dominant fourth set and rode that momentum through the fifth to clinch the comeback victory.

Junior Brooke Larsen led Doane with a match-high 22 kills on .340 hitting, adding 12 digs and an ace for her 16th double-double of the season. Kate Roseland was equally sharp on the pin, finishing with 14 kills, four blocks, and 16 total points. Addison Raebel contributed 10 kills and three block assists, while Hilary Hupp tallied nine kills and a pair of blocks. Setter Camdyn Carpenter orchestrated the offense with 52 assists and a team-best 30 digs for an impressive double-double.

Defensively, the Tigers collected 78 digs and six total team blocks. Kaylee Rammell added 13 digs from the back row, and Ashleigh Kirkendall chipped in nine along with a service ace. Doane's serve-receive game held steady through the first three sets before the Flames found their rhythm late.

Saint Mary's balanced attack featured five players with eight or more kills, led by Madalyn Welp (14 kills), Caylin Barnett (13), and Caitlin McCormack (12). The Flames hit .353 in the fourth set and .500 in the decisive fifth to pull away.

With the loss, Doane drops to 3-1 in home matches decided in five sets this season. The Tigers will close their regular season with a pair of road matches, starting on Saturday in a crucial late-season meeting against Mount Marty with post-season hopes on the line. 

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