PITTSBURG, Kan. – The Harding volleyball team got two come-from-behind wins Saturday in its final non-conference matches. The Lady Bisons defeated Illinois-Springfield 3-2 (19-25,25-27,33-31,25-19,15-8) and then defeated host team Pittsburg State 3-1 15-25,25-18,26-24,25-18).
Harding improves to 7-5 on the season.
Illinois-Springfield falls to 8-3 and Pittsburg State falls to 5-5.
ILL-SPRINGFIELD MATCH
The Harding Lady Bisons edged out a thrilling 3-2 victory over Illinois-Springfield on Saturday, improving their record to 6-5.
In a back-and-forth contest, Harding dropped the first set 25-19 but rebounded to take the second 25-27. The Lady Bisons then dominated the third set 33-31, only to see Illinois-Springfield force a deciding fifth set with a 19-25 win in the fourth.
Harding regrouped and took the final set 15-8, sealing the hard-fought victory.
Maegan Lacy led the Lady Bisons with a career-high 19 kills and a career-high 24 digs, while Skyler McKinnon added a season-high 19 kills. Delaney Garner also had 13 kills and hit .333. Olivia Wiedower dished out a career-high 60 assists and a career-high 24 digs.
For Illinois-Springfield (8-3), Eirini Glynou paced the offense with 20 kills, and Makenna Cox added 22 kills. Erica Sledge recorded 54 assists.
The match featured 40 ties and 16 lead changes.
Set 1: Illinois-Springfield 25, Harding 19
Illinois-Springfield dominated the first set, jumping out to an 18-8 lead and never looked back. Eirini Glynou and Makenna Cox paced the Prairie Stars with five kills each, while Maegan Lacy led Harding with 6 kills.
Set 2: Illinois-Springfield 27, Harding 25
In a tightly contested second set, Illinois-Springfield edged Harding 27-25. Glynou led the Prairie Stars with seven kills, while Skyler McKinnon and Delaney Garner combined for 11 kills for Harding.
Set 3: Harding 33, Illinois-Springfield 31
Harding bounced back in the third set, outlasting Illinois-Springfield 33-31. Maegan Lacy and Skyler McKinnon had seven kills each for Harding, while Glynou paced the Prairie Stars with eight kills. It was the most points Harding has scored in a set since 2007 when the teams played to 30 points in a set.
Set 4: Illinois-Springfield 25, Harding 19
Illinois-Springfield forced a deciding fifth set with a 25-19 victory in the fourth. Cox led the Prairie Stars with five kills, while McKinnon had five kills for Harding.
Set 5: Harding 15, Illinois-Springfield 8
Harding sealed the match with a convincing 15-8 win in the fifth set. Lacy and McKinnon combined for seven kills, while the Prairie Stars struggled to find their rhythm offensively.
PITTSBURG STATE MATCH
The Harding volleyball team secured a 3-1 victory over Pittsburg State on Saturday, improving their record to 7-5.
The Lady Bisons dropped the first set 25-15 but rebounded, taking the next three sets 25-18, 26-24, and 25-18. Delaney Garner led the charge with a career-high 19 kills and a .417 hitting percentage, while Maegan Lacy added nine kills and 20 digs.
Harding's Olivia Wiedower recorded 52 assists, and Tatum Fouche contributed a season-high 29 digs.
Pittsburg State's Vix Vilott paced the Gorillas with 17 kills, and Ivy Fink chipped in with 6 kills and 4 aces. Jesa Wallace tallied 37 assists.
The match featured 13 tie scores and 8 lead changes.
Set 1: Pittsburg State 25, Harding 15
Pittsburg State dominated the first set, racing to a 13-4 lead behind strong serving from Alexis Bittner and Ivy Fink. Harding struggled with errors, committing 11 attack errors. Vix Vilott led Pittsburg State with five kills.
Set 2: Harding 25, Pittsburg State 18
Harding bounced back in the second set, using a 10-3 run to take control. Delaney Garner had six kills, and Olivia Wiedower added 12 assists. Pittsburg State's offense sputtered, hitting just .081.
Set 3: Harding 26, Pittsburg State 24
In a tightly contested third set, Harding edged Pittsburg State. Maegan Lacy's ace put Harding up 20-17, but Pittsburg State fought back to tie at 24. Avery Stanfill's ace sealed the set for Harding.
Set 4: Harding 25, Pittsburg State 18
Harding pulled away in the fourth set, using a 10-3 run to build a commanding lead. Delaney Garner had seven kills, and Ashley Lamkin added four. Pittsburg State struggled with errors, committing 13 attack errors.
UP NEXT
Harding will be back in action Tuesday when it starts Great American Conference action. The Lady Bisons will host Ouachita Baptist at 6 p.m., at the Rhodes-Reaves Field House.
