MARSHALL, Mo. – Bluejay Volleyball completed their trip to Marshall, Mo. for the Viking Invitational on Saturday afternoon. The Lady Bluejays entered the day with a 1-1 record, coming off a hard-fought battle with Missouri Valley and ultimately falling, 2-3, and knocking off Graceland in a three-set rout. Tabor met up with two more teams from the Heart of America Athletic Conference, this time facing William Penn and No. 21 ranked Central Methodist.
 
Match One vs William Penn: L 1-3 (27-29, 25-20, 23-25, 20-25)
 
The Lady Bluejays opened Day Two of the Viking Invitational with a bout with William Penn. The Statesmen came into the match with an 0-4 overall record, dropping matches to Mayville State and Dordt last Saturday, in addition to dropping a match to Central Methodist in their opening match of the Viking Invitational as well as dropping a three-set decision to Missouri Valley.
 
The Statesmen jumped on the board first, taking an early 3-0 lead before a service error by WPU put Tabor on the board. The Lady Bluejays put together two major runs in Set One, starting with a three-point run that cut William Penn's lead to three. The second major run came later, with the Bluejays scoring six straight points to take a brief 15-14 lead. Two Bluejay service aces, along with a kill by Brindelyn Schneider and three errors by the Statesmen helped set up the run. The teams continued to battle back and forth, extending the set until William Penn pulled away to win the first set, 29-27.
 
Set Two looked differently than the first, with Tabor drawing the first blood courtesy of a kill by Breonna Smith. Both teams went on to exchange points, but the Bluejays fueled their attack with two short runs while the Statesmen were never able to score more than two points in a row. The Lady Bluejays took a three-point lead after their first run by way of a kill by Mia Maly with an assist by Sammie Saunders, as well as two Statesmen errors. The second Bluejay run came by way of kills by Schneider and Juliana Alaniz, with a service ace by Naera Tschus and a ball handling error by WPU putting Tabor in the driver's seat with a five-point lead, 19-14. The Statesmen battled back, but the Bluejays opened the door just wide enough to slam it shut with two unanswered points to take Set Two, 25-20, thanks to another Statesmen error and a kill by Liana McGonigle.
 
Set Three featured a more balanced effort from both sides, with the Bluejays earning their points off kills by Maly, Saunders, Smith, Alaniz, McGonigle, and Katie Hofer. Tabor took a 21-17 lead, only to have WPU come roaring back to take the set, 25-23.
 
The Bluejays rattled off four straight points in the fourth set after the Statesmen got on the board first, with Maly, Alaniz, and Saunders each notching kills to give the Bluejays an early 4-2 advantage. Neither team led by more than two points until the Bluejays found themselves behind by five, 24-19. Alaniz gave the Bluejays more life with a kill to cut William Penn's lead to four, but a kill by the Statesmen sealed the match, with the Bluejays falling in a 3-1 decision.
 
Match Two vs No. 21 Central Methodist: L 0-3 (10-25, 13-25, 17-25)
 
Tabor took on arguably their toughest opponent of the early season in the No. 21 ranked team in the NAIA Preseason Coaches' Poll, Central Methodist. The Eagles entered the match with victories against William Penn and Graceland, taking the match with William Penn in four sets and taking down Graceland in a three-set rout. 
 
Josephine Fuamatu put the Bluejays on the board first with an ace, before the Eagles took a 4-1 lead. The Bluejays struggled to get going in Set One and dropped the set, 10-25.
 
Set Two proved to be similar for the Lady Bluejays, although the set was not without several highlights for the team. Fuamatu, Sammie Saunders, Brindelyn Schneider, Juliana Alaniz, and Carolina Goncalves all contributed to the scoring efforts for Tabor, with each amassing at least one kill, while Mia Maly and Naera Tschus provided assists. The Bluejays dropped the second set to Central Methodist, 13-25.
 
The third and final set saw Tabor put up their strongest set of the match, with the Bluejays going on several short scoring runs. A block by Schneider and a kill by Alaniz served as the strongest highlights for the Lady Bluejays in Set Three. Central Methodist took the final set of the match, 17-25, but the Bluejays showed a promising display.
 
The Lady Bluejays take the court again on Tuesday, August 27^th as they make the trek to Baldwin City to take on a 1-0 Baker squad. The match is set to begin at 7 PM in the Collins Center on the Baker campus. The game will be broadcast on the Heart Network, and live stats will be available here.
 
Be sure to stay up to date with all information regarding Bluejay Athletics by following us on X at @gotaborbluejays, on Instagram and Facebook @taborbluejays, and on our official athletic website, taborbluejays.com.
 
Tabor College is a Christ-centered institution located in Hillsboro, Kansas. The Bluejays are members of the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) and compete in the Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference (KCAC).