Warriors Take 3 of 4 in Ozarks Tournament

Point Lookout, Mo.- The Sterling College volleyball team traveled to the College of the Ozarks this past weekend for their second official tournament of pre-conference games. The Warriors achieved a 3-1 record for the weekend, setting their overall record at 6-2.

The Warriors kicked off the weekend in a three-set win against Baptist Bible College. The first set was full of energy from both teams, cutting a close win at 25-23. The Warriors then came in with a strong attack for the following two sets, coming in at 25-16 and 25-15.

Aliya McClanahan led the attack with 8 kills and a .333 hitting percentage. Following closely behind was Ashlyn Fast with 7 kills and a .462 hitting percentage. The Warriors played a strong defensive game as well, with Nyah Isom leading with 9 digs, followed up with 8 digs from Aubrey Young and 7 from Lindsey Kauffman. Young also led in assists, totaling 23 for the match.

The Warriors took their only loss of the tournament in a three-set sweep against the College of the Ozarks. The Warriors had a steady rhythm in the first set, keeping a close game but ultimately losing by 25-22. The College of Ozarks then took a strong lead in the second set, taking the set at 25-16, leaving little opportunity for the Warriors to bounce back. The Warriors came into the third set with renewed energy, but couldn't outlast their opponents as the College of Ozarks snatched the last set at 26-24.

Emily Peterson and Paige Borges took charge at the net with 9 and 8 kills, respectively. Both had a little less in luck when at the net, Peterson hitting percentage at .333 and Borges at .115. The Warriors were tested in their defensive strength, Isom leading with 16 digs out of the 58 that the Warriors recorded.

The Warriors took control of the next two games in three-set sweeps, crushing Haskell and serving up a good fight against Peru State. In the game against Haskell, the Warriors kept a strong attack at the net, winning the sets by 25-17, 25-6, and 25-19.

Borges led with 11 kills and a hitting percentage of .310. Following up are Morgan Pellegrino and Peterson at 8 and 7 kills, respectfully. Young led in assists with 26, her weekend high. But the Warriors weren't just focused on the attack, as they totaled out 70 digs this game. Isom once again led with 16 digs, followed by Young with 13 and Kauffman with 12.

The final game was a well-fought win for the Warriors, stealing a close three-set win against Peru State. The Warriors started strong in their final match, earning a 25-20 win in set 1. Peru State came back with some energy, pushing the Warriors to outlast the Bobcats for a 26-24 win. They then came out on top with another well-energized win, 25-20.

Peterson led the attack with 10 kills and a hitting percentage of .370. Kauffman and Makenna Linden took charge of the back row, collecting 10 digs each against Peru State, a little less than half of the total digs.

The Warriors return to the court on Sep. 6th to play against Haskell, the last game before the conference begins.

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.