WICHITA, Kan. — The Friends University Falcons fell 3-1 to the University of Saint Mary Spires in their KCAC home opener tonight (Oct. 1) inside the Garvey Center, with set scores of 25-17, 18-25, 26-24, and 25-20. The Falcons recorded a .500 hitting percentage in the second set, marking their highest of the match.
Friends opened the first set with momentum, quickly taking a 4-0 lead through kills by
Maddy Hildebrand and capitalizing on errors from the Spires. However, the visiting team responded with a series of service aces by Ava Bojamski, leveling the score at 4-4. Despite consistent efforts from the Falcons, including a kill by
Gabbie Taylor, Saint Mary pulled ahead with a dominant mid-set run, extending their lead to 13-8.
The Falcons attempted to regain control, with
Sofia Mekelburg and
Natalie Castillo contributing crucial points. Nevertheless, the Spires' offensive continued to press, with Chloe Byrd and Saige Hadley leading their attack. The set concluded with Saint Mary closing out the set 25-17, despite Friends' late push with contributions from Taylor and Hildebrand.
Friends seized early momentum in the second set with an initial 3-0 run, highlighted by a kill from Mekelburg and a block by Taylor and Castillo. Despite a brief challenge from Saint Mary, the Falcons maintained their edge with a series of kills from Taylor and Castillo, building an 8-4 advantage.
As the set progressed, the Falcons capitalized on opponent errors and added a service ace from
Randi Reid to extend the lead to 19-15. Saint Mary attempted to close the gap, but Friends responded effectively with key contributions from Taylor and
Jayde Gonzalez to maintain the upper hand.
Closing the set, the Falcons showcased resilience and tactical precision. A kill from Gonzalez and a final attack error by Saint Mary's MJ Stephens secured the set for Friends, concluding with a 25-18 scoreline.
Friends entered the third set looking to build momentum, quickly responding to Saint Mary's early lead with Hildebrand's effective offensive play. Her two consecutive kills, facilitated by assists from Reid, helped level the score at 4-4. The Falcons capitalized on Saint Mary's errors and a well-timed kill by Taylor to take a narrow 6-5 lead.
As the set progressed, the Falcons saw a brief lead at 15-12, fueled by consistent pressure from Hildebrand and Castillo's block. However, Saint Mary rallied back, tying the game at 16-16. Both teams exchanged points with neither able to pull away until Friends secured a 23-21 advantage thanks to a series of attack errors from the visitors.
Ultimately, the set remained tightly contested with Saint Mary edging ahead in the final moments. Despite a late kill by Castillo, Saint Mary's Emma Scalise clinched the set 26-24 for the visitors.
In the fourth set, Friends faced an early deficit as Saint Mary built a 4-1 lead. Taylor and Castillo kept the Falcons competitive with kills that reduced the gap to 5-3. However, Saint Mary extended their lead to 10-4, prompting a timeout by Friends.
Following the timeout, the Falcons responded with a series of attacks led by Mekelburg and Taylor, closing to 17-16. The Spires then capitalized with service aces and kills to pull out to a 21-16 lead. Despite a late surge and kills from Mekelburg and Castillo, the Spires secured the set at 25-20 to close out the match.
Friends Top Performers
Gabbie Taylor
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- 12 kills, .323 hitting percentage
- two total blocks (one solo)
- 14.5 points
Natalie Castillo
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- eight kills, .438 hitting percentage
- five total blocks (three solo)
- 12 points
Jacey Moulton
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- 17 digs
Randi Reid
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- 21 assists
- 10 digs
- one service ace
Saint Mary Top Performers
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Ava Bojamski
- 7 service aces
- 13 digs
Gabby Kurle
- 19 digs
- 3 assists
Chloe Byrd, Emma Scalise, Saige Hadley
- 12 kills
Addison Baker
- 25 assists
