Sterling edges out Friends in five-set battle

Sterling College edged Friends University in a five-set match on Saturday, Oct. 11 at the Gleason Center, in Sterling, Kan., winning 25-14, 25-14, 23-25, 18-25, 15-10. Sterling's blocking was pivotal with 17.0 total blocks, contributing to their narrow victory. Friends fought back to force a decisive fifth set but ultimately fell short.

Sterling College opened the first set with a balanced attack, gaining early momentum as Kodie Herd delivered two kills, contributing to a narrow lead. Keala Wilson's service ace and subsequent kill extended the advantage, as Friends struggled to find consistent rhythm, with several errors impacting their play.

Sterling continued to capitalize on mistakes by the Falcons, with Aliya McClanahan and Chloe Schmidt combining for key blocks and kills. A strong finish saw Maddie Lundeen add two kills and a service ace from Grace Battershell, allowing Sterling to decisively close the set at 25-14.

Sterling College opened the second set with a strong defensive presence, highlighted by blocks from McClanahan and Lundeen, taking an early 3-1 lead. Wilson provided key assists, with McClanahan and Kaira Rodriguez capitalizing on them to extend the lead to 5-3. A service ace from Battershell further pushed the home team ahead, as they built momentum to hold a 12-6 advantage.

Herd and Schmidt contributed crucial kills as Sterling maintained control, extending the lead to 18-10. Consistent play from Wilson and Battershell facilitated a balanced attack, with McClanahan and Herd continuing to find gaps in the Falcons' defense. Despite a few errors, Sterling held a significant lead at 20-13.

Sterling College closed the set decisively with a kill from McClanahan and a block by Wilson and McClanahan to secure a 25-14 victory. The home team's consistent offensive execution and defensive stops throughout the set were instrumental in maintaining their lead.

In the third set, Sterling College initiated the scoring with an attack error by Friends' Grace McClintock. Wilson and Schmidt contributed to building an early advantage with back-to-back blocks on Gabbie Taylor, pushing Sterling ahead 5-3.

The Falcons responded with a series of plays, including a service ace and multiple kills by Maddy Hildebrand, to take a 10-7 lead. Sterling then capitalized on opponent errors and rallied with kills from McClanahan and Wilson, drawing the score even at 19-19 with a strategic timeout from Friends.

Sterling pushed ahead briefly, but the Falcons regained momentum, capturing the final points with a kill by Sofia Mekelburg, concluding the set 25-23 in favor of the Falcons.

The Falcons opened the fourth set with a strong offensive effort, jumping to a 6-0 lead fueled by Mekelburg's service ace and attack errors from Sterling College. Abigail "Abi" Howard managed to break the streak with a kill set up by Wilson, putting the Warriors on the board. Despite this, the Falcons maintained control, extending their lead to 12-2 before a Sterling timeout.

Sterling College responded by capitalizing on opponent errors, narrowing the gap with kills from McClanahan and Wilson, making it 15-6. A brief rally saw Sterling College close the gap to 19-13, aided by defensive stops and a bad set from Randi Reid of the Falcons. However, the Falcons quickly regained momentum, moving to a 22-14 lead.

As the set progressed, Sterling College continued to fight back with contributions from Howard and blocks from Caitlyn Belote and Schmidt, but the Falcons maintained their lead. The set concluded with the Falcons securing a 25-18 win, ending the set and extending their advantage over Sterling College.

Sterling College opened the fifth set with impactful plays, quickly leveling the score at 1-1 with a kill by Herd. Following an exchange of points, Sterling seized momentum with a sequence of scoring led by Rodriguez and Schmidt, advancing to a 5-2 lead. The team extended the gap to 6-2 before the Falcons called a timeout.

After the break, Sterling continued to apply pressure, with Lundeen and Schmidt contributing to the score, maintaining a 9-5 advantage. The Falcons responded, narrowing the gap to 9-8, but Sterling countered with a key kill by Herd and a block by McClanahan and Wilson to widen the lead to 12-9.

Sterling maintained control through the closing plays, capitalizing on opponent errors and strong offensive efforts from McClanahan and Wilson. The home team closed the set with a final kill by Wilson, securing a 15-10 victory in the decisive set.

Wilson led Sterling College with 25 assists and 15 digs, contributing significantly across the board. McClanahan posted a strong performance with 16 kills and eight total blocks, leading the team in points with 21. Schmidt was effective at the net, tallying nine block assists and seven kills with a .286 hitting percentage. Battershell provided solid support with 27 assists and added two service aces.

With the win, Sterling moves to 13-7 overall, 3-4 in conference. The Lady Warriors will be back in action on Friday, Oct. 17 in Springfield, Mo. at 6 p.m. as they take on Evangel University (23-2, 5-0).

Be sure to check for news and updates on Sterling Warrior Athletics on Facebook (/SCWarriors), Twitter (@SterlingCSports), and Instagram (sterlingcsports), as well as the hashtag #SwordsUp. Watch the Warriors' live home events on the Sterling College Sports Network.