Broncos Go 1-1 in Kansas City

(Kansas City, MO) – Playing a couple of games on a road trip to Kansas City, Hastings defeated Avila 3-0 (25-15, 25-20, 25-12), before coming up short in five sets to Saint Mary-Woods (21-25, 25-16, 28-26, 22-25, 19-17).

Against Avila, Hastings won the first five points, getting a couple of kills from freshman Cooper Turner. Leading 9-3, the Broncos went on a 9-2 run, getting kills from five different players. At 18-10, Hastings won the next four points and seven of the last nine to take the first set, 25-12, ending on a kill by senior Wyat Lambertson.

Hastings took a 10-5 lead in the second set on a kill from junior Aleksa Pljevaljcic, then after the Eagles came back and took a 11-10 lead, the two teams traded points until it was an 18-17 lead for Hastings. Freshman Seth Hill finished off a kill from Pljevaljcic, leading to the Broncos taking a 24-18 lead. Avila won the next couple of points, but junior Austin McLeroy finished the second set with a kill at 25-20.

In the third, Hastings won the first three points on errors by the Eagles. With a 5-4 lead, the Broncos went on a 7-1 run and an extended run of 16-6 to take a 21-10 lead, as freshman Taven Johnson and Pljevaljcic each had a couple of kills in that stretch. At 21-12, Hastings won the final four points, ending with two kills by Hill and two aces by Pljevaljcic to make it 25-12.

Hill finished with 10 kills and Pljevaljcic had 30 assists. Sophomore Nicolas Pardo had eight digs and freshman Lopaki Loban had seven digs.

Against St. Mary-Woods, the Broncos jumped out to a 10-5 lead, as freshman Christian Lafferty had two kills early on in the first set. Hastings continued to hold their lead comfortably up to 20-14, when the Pomeroys won five of the next seven points to make it 22-19. Hastings closed out the set with three of the next five points, ending with a kill from Lafferty at 25-21.

Tied at three in the second set, the Pomeroys pulled ahead 8-3. Hastings managed to get within three at 14-11 on an error by St. Mary-Woods, but quickly fell back behind by eight at 19-11. Johnson and freshman Diego Cobena got two kills each on four of the next five points to cut the deficit to five, but the Pomeroys won five of the next six points after that to take the second set, 25-16.

Trailing 10-6 in the third set, Hastings went on a 5-1 run to tie it at 11 on a McLeroy kill from Pljeveljcic. St. Marty-Woods gained momentum and managed to take an 18-13 lead, but Hastings answered with a 7-2 run on six Pomeroy errors and a kill from Hill to tie it at 20. Tied at 24, the teams traded points until it was 26-all, as Hastings fought off two set points. A kill by the Pomeroys and a Bronco error gave St. Mary-Woods the third set, 28-26.

Hastings took a 5-2 lead early in the fourth, as Hill finished off an attack with a kill. Leading 9-8, Hastings won five straight points and eventually took an 18-14 lead. The Pomeroys fought back and got within one at 19-18, then Hastings won four of the next five points, getting two kills from McLeroy. Leading 24-23, McLeroy got another kill and a Pomeroy attacking error gave Hastings the set, 25-22, and set up a fifth set.

In the fifth set, Hastings led 7-4 following a kill by Lafferty that capped a 4-0 Hastings run. With Hastings leading 12-10, the Pomeroys won the next two points. Lafferty came back with a kill and the Broncos took a 14-12 lead on an error by St. Mary-Woods. The Pomeroys came back and took a 15-14 lead and the two teams traded points until it was 17 all, when back-to-back kills by St. Mary-Woods ended the match at 19-17.

McLeroy finished with 14 kills and Lafferty had nine kills. Pljevaljcic had 35 assists and nine digs and Lafferty led the team in digs with 10.

Up next, Hastings will host Central Christian on Tuesday, Feb. 17 at 7pm. With this being the first collegiate men's volleyball match in Nebraska, admission to the game is free.