ST. LOUIS — The Friends University Falcons rallied after dropping the first set to defeat Cottey College (4-7) in four sets at the Eutectics Classic in St. Louis on Saturday (Sept. 13), taking the match 18-25, 25-15, 25-14, 25-19. Friends' 16 service aces outpaced Cottey's three, contributing significantly to their victory.

Friends started strong in the first set with Natalie Castillo securing the first point off a kill and later adding another point with assistance from Randi Reid at 0-1 and 1-2, respectively. Despite this early lead, Cottey countered with a series of attacks, including a kill by Magdalen Dougherty from Saylah Rea, leading to a 13-12 advantage for Cottey. The Falcons called a strategic timeout after Cottey extended their lead to 16-12, but despite efforts from players like Jayde Gonzalez, who added several kills, and Maysen Bruschke's back-to-back service aces, Friends could not close the gap. The set concluded with Cottey securing a 25-18 victory following an attack error by Emma Geier.

The second set opened dynamically with Reid serving up an immediate service ace to set the tone for the Falcons. Friends maintained their momentum with Maddy Hildebrand and Sofia Mekelburg contributing key kills, supported by multiple assists from Emma Sargeant. A critical moment occurred when Cottey called a timeout at 14-9 following a series of attack errors, yet Friends capitalized on the momentum to secure a decisive 25-15 victory, highlighted by a service ace from Gabbie Taylor and a final kill by Grace McClintock.

The third set opened with a commanding performance by Friends as Mekelburg immediately made her presence felt, delivering a kill from Reid at 0-0 and following up with two consecutive service aces. Friends established an early lead and maintained momentum with strategic plays, including another impressive service ace by Mekelburg at 16-9, prompting a timeout by Cottey. Contributions from Reid and Sargeant helped extend the advantage, and despite Cottey's attempts to close the gap, Friends finished the set decisively at 25-14 with Mekelburg sealing the set with a kill.

The fourth set began with a strong start for Friends, as Castillo secured the opening point with a kill set up by Reid. Despite an early exchange of points, Friends found themselves trailing at 8-4, prompting a strategic timeout to regain focus. The timeout proved effective, as Friends mounted a comeback with a series of decisive plays, including a service ace by Bruschke at 9-7 and a crucial run later fueled by Sargeant's consistent setting, which propelled them to a 19-16 lead. Friends continued their momentum, closing out the set 25-19 with a block by McClintock and Gonzalez, sealing their advantage.

The Falcons then wrapped up the day by securing a decisive 3-0 victory over the University of Health Sciences and Pharmacy in St. Louis on Saturday, winning by scores of 25-23, 25-16, 25-23, with Friends' serve game leading the way with 11 aces.

Friends opened the first set with a series of decisive plays, including a block by Mekelburg and Castillo that set the tone for a closely contested set. The teams exchanged points early, but the Falcons capitalized on key kills, with Maddy Hildebrand and Mekelburg each securing multiple points to keep the visitors in contention. Despite a late push from UHSP, Friends maintained their edge, closing the set 25-23 with Castillo's kill from Randi Reid's assist, marking a promising start to the match.

The second set began with a service ace by UHSP, but Friends quickly responded with Castillo's kill from Reid, initiating a shift in momentum. Friends then went on a dominant 7-1 run, featuring three kills and a service ace by Sutton Thompson, prompting UHSP to call a timeout. The momentum continued with Friends capitalizing on multiple UHSP errors and strong plays by Taylor, who served consecutive aces, extending the lead to 18-5 and forcing another UHSP timeout. Despite a late rally by UHSP that brought them within 23-14, Friends closed the set decisively at 25-16 following Mekelburg's kill and an attack error by UHSP's Ella Volkart, showcasing a commanding performance with key contributions from Reid and Taylor.

The third set began with the Falcons trailing early, but a series of errors by UHSP allowed them to level the score at 3-3. Castillo became a focal point for the Falcons, delivering multiple kills with assists from Reid, including a decisive stretch that saw Castillo score three kills to push the team ahead 14-11. Despite UHSP's attempts to regain composure, including a timeout at 20-18, the Falcons maintained their lead. A final attack error by UHSP's Alani Hicks secured the set for the Falcons with a 25-23 victory, highlighted by Castillo's five kills in the set.

Next up the Falcons will be at Baker University on Saturday (Sept. 20) at 5 pm in Baldwin City, Kan. 

Friends Top Performers  vs. Cottey

Sofia Mekelburg  
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- 13 kills on 27 attempts (.333 hitting percentage)  
- four service aces  
- 17.5 points  

Jacey Moulton  
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- 23 digs  

Maysen Bruschke  
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- five service aces  
- two digs  

Randi Reid  
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- 16 assists  
- seven digs  
- one service ace  

Emma Sargeant  
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- 19 assists  
- four digs  
- one service ace  

Cottey Top Performers

Magdalen Dougherty  
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- 11 kills  
- 9 digs  
- 1 service ace  

Serafina Auberry  
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- 11 kills  
- 6 digs  
- 2 block assists  

Saylah Rea  
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- 25 assists  
- 2 service aces  
- 5 kills  

Friends (KS) Top Performers vs. UHSP

Randi Reid  
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- 20 assists  
- 9 digs  
- 3 service aces  

Natalie Castillo  
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- 12 kills on a .435 hitting percentage  
- 3 block assists  
- 13.5 points  

Gabbie Taylor  
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- 4 service aces  
- 9 digs  
- 7 points  

Sofia Mekelburg  
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- 6 kills  
- 6 digs  
- 1 block assist  

Maddy Hildebrand  
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- 7 kills  
- 2 block assists  
- 8 points  

UHSP Top Performers  
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Sophia Michaud  
- 7 kills  
- 1 block solo  
- 8 points  

Jenna Brinson  
- 24 assists  
- 3 service aces  
- 12 digs  

Sumanpreet Kaur  
- 9 kills  
- 1 block solo  
- 10 points  

MaKenzie Uribe  
- 16 digs  
- 1 assist  
- 1 service ace