[Volleyball] Volleyball Falcons Fall in Four Sets at Bethany

Lindsborg, Kan. – The Bethany College Swedes won three straight sets to defeat the Friends University Falcons 3-1 tonight (Oct. 23) in Lindsborg, Kan.

The Falcons led the first set wire to wire, scoring the first five points and building the lead to 17-11.

Bethany would twice rally within a point, but each time the Falcons had a response, with the last coming on consecutive kills from Emily Thompson (SR/Garden Plain, Kan.) and Tiffany Hurd (SO/Gilbert, Ariz.) that gave Friends a 25-22 win.

The second set was tight much of the way, with the Falcons taking a 14-12 lead before the Swedes ran off a 7-2 spurt to take a three-point lead.

Leading 21-19, the Swedes finished the set scoring four of the last five points for a 25-20 win to even the match 1-1.

The Swedes never trailed in the third set, jumping out to a 12-5 edge on the way to a 25-19 win to go up 2-1.

Friends held a 21-19 lead in the fourth set, but the Swedes got two kills from both Madie Baker and Ashae Murphy that sparked a 6-1 run to close out the win 25-22.

Ashleigh Hunter (JR/Andale, Kan.) led the Falcons (17-19, 3-7 KCAC) with 15 kills, with Jana Boston (JR/Newton, Kan.) leading the team in both assists (37) and digs (16). Destani Garten (JR/Pratt, Kan. ) had 13 digs for Friends.

Baker paced three Swedes in double-figure kills with 17. Ivona Vojvodic had a match-high 50 assists and Haley Reifsteck led Bethany (10-18, 4-5 KCAC) with 20 digs.

The Falcons will next host a triangular match Saturday (Oct. 27) afternoon, facing Oklahoma Wesleyan University at 1 pm and then the University of Science and Arts of Oklahoma at 5 pm inside the Garvey Center.

Saturday will also be Heroes' Day, with all military, veterans, first responders and their families receiving free admission into the volleyball matches and also the football game at 1 pm.