Men's Volleyball Wraps Up First Season with Pair of Wins

(McPherson, KS) – The men's volleyball team wrapped up their first season with a couple of matches in McPherson on Saturday, winning 3-0 over host Central Christian (27-25, 25-18, 25-22), and 3-1 over Avila (23-25, 25-17, 25-15, 25-22).

Trailing 7-5 in the first set against Central Christian, Hastings won five straight points, getting a pair of kills from freshman Taven Johnson to go up 10-7. The Tigers would take a brief 12-11 lead, but then Hastings pulled ahead and had a 22-19 lead following a kill by junior Austin McLeroy. 

Central Christian won four straight points to go up 23-22 in the first, then after Hastings responded with two points of their own and went up 24-23, the teams traded points until it was 25-all. Freshman Seth Hill got a kill and a Tigers error gave Hastings the first set, 27-25.

Hastings took a 6-4 lead in the second set on a kill by freshman Christian Lafferty, but the Tigers rallied soon after to go up 10-9. Tied at 18, Hastings won the next seven points to close out the set. Lafferty began the run with a kill and Johnson had kills on two of the last three points of the 25-18 second set win.

With the Broncos trailing 9-6 in the third, Lafferty and Johnson each had kills and an ace by Lafferty tied it at nine. Central Christian held a 13-11 lead, then Hastings went on an 8-5 run, getting kills from Lafferty and Hill. Tied at 22, Hastings won the next three points, which included two kills by junior Aleksa Pljevaljcic to win it, 25-22.

Lafferty led the team with 15 kills, while Hill and Johnson had eight kills. Pljevaljcic had 35 assists and freshman Lopaki Laban led the team with eight digs.

Against Avila, the Eagles jumped out to an 8-6 lead. The Broncos won the next seven points, getting a couple of kills from Pljevaljcic during the run to go up 13-8. Avila clawed their way back and tied up the set at 16, but Hastings regained the momentum to get a 22-19 lead on a Tiger attacking error. Avila won six of the next seven points to win the first set, 25-23.

Johnson got a kill on the first point of the second set and Hastings led 5-0 early on, getting a couple of aces from Laban. Leading 8-4, Lafferty got a pair of kills, then Pljevaljcic and Hill each had a kill to go up 12-3. Avila got within four at 13-9, but Hastings countered with a 7-3 run to take a 20-12 lead. On set point, a kill from Johnson gave the Broncos the 25-17 set two win.

In set three, the Broncos grabbed an 8-2 lead following a kill by Hill. Up 11-6, Hastings won three straight points. Avila got as close as six at 17-11, but two aces from Pljevaljcic keyed a 5-0 Bronco run to take a 22-11 lead. On set point, Pljevaljcic set up Johnson for a kill, giving them the third set, 25-15, to take a 2-1 lead.

Avila got off to a 7-6 lead in the fourth and while Hastings briefly led at 9-7 after a Lafferty ace, the Eagles pulled ahead to take a 12-11 lead. After a tie at 13-all, Avila would hold a lead for most of the rest of the set, including a 21-18 lead. Hastings grabbed the momentum from their winning the next five points, and six of the next seven points to close out the match, 25-22, as McLeroy ended the match on a kill from Pljevaljcic.

Lafferty had 17 kills to lead the way, along with 10 kills each from Johnson and Hill, and nine by McLeroy. Pljevaljcic had 42 assists and Laban had 19 digs. Johnson, Lafferty, and Hill also had three blocks apiece.

Hastings ends their inaugural season with a 6-10 record.