Reivers take third in NJCAA National Tournament

Reivers take third in NJCAA National Tournament
November 17, 2018

Courtsey of the Daily Nonpareil

 

HUTCHINSON, Kan. –Iowa Western has a rich volleyball history – including 13 straight trips to the national tournament. But this year's Reiver team made its mark as one of the school's best Saturday, beating Seward County (Kan.) 15-25, 25-17, 25-23, 25-23 for third place in the NJCAA tournament. In the deciding set, sophomore Morgan Bossler teamed up with Hina Pua'a for a block to break a 23-23 tie, then delivered a match-clinching solo block. The finish was the third-best in school history, behind only the 2006 national champions and the 2016 runners-up.

 
And it was a happy ending to the season for a team that missed out on a spot in the championship match by falling Friday night to defending national champion Miami Dade in five sets. After finishing third, the Reivers will bring home a trophy, which the fourth-place team doesn't get. "Our girls are deserving of getting some flair on the shelf. They're one of the most genuine teams I've ever had in terms of playing for each other, with respect and love for each other." IWCC coach Alicia Williams said. "I'm glad they're going to be recognized by others now." The Reivers dropped the first set to Seward County, which had beaten Iowa Western on Sept. 22, before coming back to take the next two sets. "We came out and looked tired. I get it, we played a lot of really hard volleyball this weekend," Williams said. "I wanted them to focus on the game plan. We didn't execute in the first set, and not really in the second, either, but we picked it up after that."
 

"They changed their rotation so Morgan was with their two best players. It had been Gen (Sheridan) before. ... The kid (Bossler) is so coachable. She listens to the game plan, and she went out and got after it and got two huge blocks. For our captain to get that, it kind of put the stamp on who our team is." The Reivers finished 38-4, with two losses to Miami Dade and one each to Missouri-West Plains and Seward County. They later avenged the West Plains and Seward County losses.

 

IWCC (38-4) 15 25 25 25

Seward Co. 25 17 23 23

IWCC (kills-aces-blocks): Savannah Downing 2-0-0, Kelsey Havel 8-0-1, Genesis Sheridan 7-0-5, Morgan Bossler 9-1-5, Kortlyn Henderson 12-0-3, Hina Pua'a 1-0-6, Bryn Stansberry 0-0-0, Irina Alekseeva 10-1-0, Ariana Macies 0-2-0, Brooklynn McCain 0-0-0.

Set assists: Bossler, Pua'a 38, Macies 6. Digs: Downing 5, Havel 8, Sheridan 2, Bossler, Pua'a 11, Macies 11, McCain 7.