DRAGONS DROP 4-SET BATTLE WITH IOWA WESTERN

Blue Dragon Volleyball drops a four-set battle with Iowa Western on Saturday at the Blue Dragon Volleyball Classic at the Sports Arena. (McKenzie Franklin/Blue Dragon Sports Information)

September 23, 2023

Hutchinson CC Sports Information

The Hutchinson Community College volleyball team had trouble stopping Iowa Western's Stephanie Sarmezan and the Blue Dragons dropped a tough four-set match to the Reivers to start Day 2 of the Blue Dragon Volleyball Classic at the Sports Arena.

The Blue Dragons fell 23-25, 23-25, 25-18, 21-25 to the Reivers to go 1-2 in the tournament with one more match against Mineral Area later Saturday. Iowa Western won its first match of the weekend.

Sarmezan had 20 kills on 30 attacks and hit .567 to lead the Reivers. Sarmezan also had four block assists.

Iowa Western hit .209 as a team, while hitting only .190. The Blue Dragons were out-dug 65-52.

Sophomore outside hitter Taniya Golden led the Blue Dragons with her 13th double-double of the season, racking up 16 kills and 13 digs. Golden hit .212 and added four blocks.

Sophomore Ashlyn Long came of the bench to tally 11 kills on .321 hitting. She had three block assists.

Sophomore Anna Dean had seven kills, three service aces and seven blocks, including two solo blocks. Freshman McKenzie Murphy had six kills on .417 hitting with six blocks.

The Blue Dragons out-blocked Iowa Western 14-10 and had five service aces.

Sophomore setter Giovanna Ravanahani had 32 assists with three digs, two kills and two blocks.

Freshman defensive specialist Isabella Rollandini had a team-high 17 digs.

SET 1: A Catalina Arce service ace opened an early 5-2 lead for the Blue Dragons, but three-straight attack errors by the Dragons capped a 6-2 run for an 8-7 Reiver lead. A Golden kill gave the Dragons a 12-11 lead. There were seven ties and four lead changes in the opening set, the final one came on a Sarmezan kill for a 14-13 Reiver lead. The Dragons fell behind 18-15 on an attack error, but rallied when a Dean kill pulled Hutchinson within 19-18. Down 23-20, Murphy had a kill to pull the Dragons within two. A Golden kill fought off a set-point against, but Saral Simpson's kill gave IWCC a 25-23 win.

SET 2: The Dragons fell behind 8-3 early in the set. The Dragons got back with in 8-6 after two IWCC attack errors. The Dragons took a 13-12 leas on an Emma Stubbs kill. The set was then tied at 13-all and 15-all and the Reivers build a 20-16 lead. Stubbs' kill stopped that Reiver run and a Golden kill tied the set at 21-21. The Dragons couldn't grab a late lead. Then tied at 22, the Reivers scored on 3 of the final 4 rallies to take a 2-0 match lead with a 25-23 victory.

SET 3: The Dragons got off to another solid start with a Ravanhani kill gave Hutchinson a 10-7 lead. The Dragons went on a 4-0 run to build a 14-11 lead. IWCC pulled within 15-14, but back-to-back Dean aces gave the Dragons a 17-14 lead. A Golden kill upped the advantage to 20-15. Leading 23-18, the Dragons earned their first set victory with a Golden kill and Reiver attack error. The Blue Dragons hit .300 in the third set to Iowa Western's .114.

SET 4: Hutchinson hit .312 in the third set, but the Reiver offense woke up to .364 hitting. Tied at 9, the Reivers grabbed the lead for good. The Dragons trailed 17-12 to cap an 8-3 run. A Long kill snapped that run. Down 23-20, A long kill pulled the Dragons within two, but back-to-back errors by Hutchinson closed out the match.