Grace Volleyball Team Wins MCC Championship
July 28, 2016 at 4:25 p.m.
MISHAWAKA -ÊThe Grace College volleyball team clinched its second consecutive regular season Mid-Central Conference Championship Tuesday night by defeating Bethel 15-10, 14-16, 15-9, 16-14.
Combined with an Indiana Wesleyan victory over Taylor, the Lancers won the title outright as the lone 6-1 team in the conference.
For the second season in a row, the Lancers went on the road to win the championship. Last year, Grace upset Indiana Wesleyan on the road in the final conference match of the year to win the championship.
Tricia Doyle led the Lancers with 23 kills and 20 digs. Jamie Gill added 20 kills and Kate Millen had 14 kills and 13 blocks. Jessica Zaugg added 60 assists.
In a match with large momentum swings, the Lancers never had the match sewn up until the final point.
After leading game one 11-2, Grace struggled but held off the Pilots for the 15-10 win. Bethel used that momentum to take a 10-0 lead in the second game, but the Lancers fought back to tie the score at 14-14. Bethel scored the final two points to knot the match at one game each.
The third game was tight early on and Bethel led 7-6. However, Andria Parker served four consecutive points and Millen had back-to-back kills, giving Grace a commanding 12-7 lead and went on to win that third game.
In game four, the Lancers trailed 9-7 when they found out that Indiana Wesleyan had defeated Taylor, assuring the winner of this match the conference title. Grace fell behind 11-7 before scoring six consecutive points. The Lancers led 14-12, but Bethel fought back to tie the score.
However, Millen came up big with a pair of blocks for points and the match.
"This championship proves that we have kids with heart," Grace coach Candace Moats said. "They learned to persevere and learned to be champions."
Grace opened the season 4-10 and lost an early Mid-Central Conference match to Taylor. But the Lancers battled back and eventually defeated an Indiana Wesleyan team that was 29-1 at the time and is currently 35-2 and ranked No. 16 by the NAIA.
Moats saw the season turn around in early October when the team took a three-hour trip to Indianapolis for a match with Marian. The Knights were coming off of victories over Bethel and Taylor, a team which had already beaten Grace.
"We anticipated a tough game that night," Moats said. "But we controlled that match. From that point on, we started beating better teams and dominating conference matches."
And then came the Indiana Wesleyan match. The Wildcats had defeated Grace in three straight games just three days earlier and were a hungry team after being shocked by Bethel a week earlier when the Wildcats were 26-0.
"We just needed someone to knock off Indiana Wesleyan," Moats said. "When Bethel beat them, we knew it meant that we could too."
Grace improves to 22-15 overall and finishes 6-1 in the Mid-Central Conference. As long as the Lancers remain in the MCC Tournament, they will host games. Before that, however, Grace will compete at the NCCAA National Championships at Cedarville beginning Thursday. Grace is seeded No. 8 out of the 10 schools at the event. Indiana Wesleyan is the No. 1 seed and is in the same pool as the Lancers.
GRACE DEF. BETHEL 15-10, 14-16, 15-9, 16-14
Grace leaders
Kills - Tricia Doyle 23, Jamie Gill 22, Kate Millen 14
Assists - Jessica Zaugg 60
Blocks - Kate Millen 13, Tricia Doyle 8
Digs - Tricia Doyle 20, Kelli Irish 12, Andria Parker 12
Aces - Kelli Irish 3, Jessica Zaugg 2, Mandy Ringhand 2, Laura Miller 2 [[In-content Ad]]
MISHAWAKA -ÊThe Grace College volleyball team clinched its second consecutive regular season Mid-Central Conference Championship Tuesday night by defeating Bethel 15-10, 14-16, 15-9, 16-14.
Combined with an Indiana Wesleyan victory over Taylor, the Lancers won the title outright as the lone 6-1 team in the conference.
For the second season in a row, the Lancers went on the road to win the championship. Last year, Grace upset Indiana Wesleyan on the road in the final conference match of the year to win the championship.
Tricia Doyle led the Lancers with 23 kills and 20 digs. Jamie Gill added 20 kills and Kate Millen had 14 kills and 13 blocks. Jessica Zaugg added 60 assists.
In a match with large momentum swings, the Lancers never had the match sewn up until the final point.
After leading game one 11-2, Grace struggled but held off the Pilots for the 15-10 win. Bethel used that momentum to take a 10-0 lead in the second game, but the Lancers fought back to tie the score at 14-14. Bethel scored the final two points to knot the match at one game each.
The third game was tight early on and Bethel led 7-6. However, Andria Parker served four consecutive points and Millen had back-to-back kills, giving Grace a commanding 12-7 lead and went on to win that third game.
In game four, the Lancers trailed 9-7 when they found out that Indiana Wesleyan had defeated Taylor, assuring the winner of this match the conference title. Grace fell behind 11-7 before scoring six consecutive points. The Lancers led 14-12, but Bethel fought back to tie the score.
However, Millen came up big with a pair of blocks for points and the match.
"This championship proves that we have kids with heart," Grace coach Candace Moats said. "They learned to persevere and learned to be champions."
Grace opened the season 4-10 and lost an early Mid-Central Conference match to Taylor. But the Lancers battled back and eventually defeated an Indiana Wesleyan team that was 29-1 at the time and is currently 35-2 and ranked No. 16 by the NAIA.
Moats saw the season turn around in early October when the team took a three-hour trip to Indianapolis for a match with Marian. The Knights were coming off of victories over Bethel and Taylor, a team which had already beaten Grace.
"We anticipated a tough game that night," Moats said. "But we controlled that match. From that point on, we started beating better teams and dominating conference matches."
And then came the Indiana Wesleyan match. The Wildcats had defeated Grace in three straight games just three days earlier and were a hungry team after being shocked by Bethel a week earlier when the Wildcats were 26-0.
"We just needed someone to knock off Indiana Wesleyan," Moats said. "When Bethel beat them, we knew it meant that we could too."
Grace improves to 22-15 overall and finishes 6-1 in the Mid-Central Conference. As long as the Lancers remain in the MCC Tournament, they will host games. Before that, however, Grace will compete at the NCCAA National Championships at Cedarville beginning Thursday. Grace is seeded No. 8 out of the 10 schools at the event. Indiana Wesleyan is the No. 1 seed and is in the same pool as the Lancers.
GRACE DEF. BETHEL 15-10, 14-16, 15-9, 16-14
Grace leaders
Kills - Tricia Doyle 23, Jamie Gill 22, Kate Millen 14
Assists - Jessica Zaugg 60
Blocks - Kate Millen 13, Tricia Doyle 8
Digs - Tricia Doyle 20, Kelli Irish 12, Andria Parker 12
Aces - Kelli Irish 3, Jessica Zaugg 2, Mandy Ringhand 2, Laura Miller 2 [[In-content Ad]]