HESSTON, Kan. – Tabor College Volleyball made the short trip over to Hesston Thursday evening to take on the Hesston College Larks for the first time since the 1985 season. The Bluejays came in looking for their first win of the new season after falling in a pair of matches at the Benedictine Quad last Friday, while the Larks were also searching for their first win after falling in three sets to Langston.
SCORE
MATCH NOTES
- With the win, Tabor improves to 1-3 on the season
- Thursday's match marked the first official meeting between the two programs since the 1985 season
- The series between the two programs dates back to 1975
- Currently, the all-time series is tied, 4-4
NOTABLE PERFORMANCES
- Liana McGonigle and Jacee Ray led the way offensively with 14 kills apiece
- McGonigle posted an outstanding .565 attack percentage, while Ray had a night of her own with a .500 attack percentage
- Annerieke Nederveen made her debut in the Tabor jersey with 49 assists, 11 digs, and two kills
- Carolina Goncalves (11 kills) and Catherine Eddy (nine kills) added hefty contributions on the offensive side
- Bluejay libero EmiLee Walnofer anchored the back row with 32 total digs
MATCH SUMMARY
- Tabor came out of the gate red hot in the first set, scoring the first three points of the match, and quickly watching their lead balloon from 8-2 and 11-3 to 17-4. The Larks were forced to call a timeout as the Bluejays took an 11-3 lead and burned their second one as TC went up by a dominant score of 20-5. Kills by Keeley Pflughoeft and Kennedie Esparza kept Hesston alive in the first set, but Tabor quickly rolled to a 25-7 win.
- As if trying to outdo their efforts in Set One, the Bluejays rattled off eight unanswered points, forcing Hesston to take their first timeout as the score read 9-1. Once again, Tabor built up a solid lead, taking a 19-9 advantage late in the set. Kills by Catherine Eddy and Carolina Goncalves gave the road team their largest lead of the set (11), 21-10, before the Larks came charging back, scoring four straight. Kills by Eddy and Goncalves and an attack error by Hesston helped TC clinch the Set Two victory.
- Set Three proved to be much more even, but Hesston took a late 22-21 lead and never looked back, taking the set by a score of 25-22.
- In a tight fourth set, Tabor finally found some footing midway through the set, posting an 18-12 advantage. Kills by HC's Lydia Foster and Tanna Owens and a bad set attempt gave the Larks life, bringing the score back within three. The Bluejays were able to grind things out, closing out Set Four, 25-18, and earning a 3-1 win.
UP NEXT
- The Bluejays are set to host the Tabor Tri-Matches on Saturday, taking on MidAmerica Nazarene at 11:00am and Southwestern Christian at 4:00pm.
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).
