By Hutchinson CC Sports Information
DODGE CITY – The Hutchinson Community College volleyball hasn't fared well lately in five-set matches.
Leading Dodge City 2-1, but down 23-16 in the fourth, the Blue Dragons looked destined to play a third five-set match in the span of five matches.
Hutchinson averted that scenario by scoring the final nine points of the fourth set to defeat Dodge City 25-18, 22-25, 25-20, 25-23 in a Jayhawk West matchup at the DC3 Student Activities Center.
The Blue Dragons swept the season series from the Conquistadors and improved to 17-7 overall and 10-4 in the Jayhawk West. Hutchinson plays host to Seward County on Thursday at 6 p.m. in the Sports Arena in the final regular-season home match. Dodge City falls to 7-13 overall and 4-9 in the league.
Hutchinson swept Dodge City in the first match of the season on February 11 in 1 hour and 3 minutes. Far surpassing that elapsed match time on Monday, Dodge City was two points away from forcing a fifth set, leading the Blue Dragons 23-16 in the fourth.
The improbable comeback started with Shelby Murrell connecting on a slide to make it 23-17. Murrell and Jenna Thorne doubled up for a block and Chloe Price scored an ace to make it 23-19 and prompt a Dodge City timeout. Kills from Thorne and Kenna Lane with a second Price ace pulled the Dragons within 23-22. Dodge City was then called for a net violation to knot the set at 23.
Lane, who had a huge fourth set off the bench, drilled her sixth kill of the set, going cross-court and the Dragons led 24-23. After Dodge City's second timeout, Price finished off the 9-0 run with an ace to close out the match.
The Blue Dragons hit .253 for the match. Price, who posted her 10th double-double of the season, set a balanced attack with five players notching eight or more kills. Price had 44 assists and 11 digs to go along with four kills and three total blocks.
Thorne had a team-high 14 kills on .214 hitting against Dodge City. She posted her team-high 16th double-double with 13 digs and she added three ace serves.
Shadee Briggs and Kristina Head also reached double figures in kills. Briggs finished with 11 kills and hit .200 on 40 swings. Head hit .303 with 10 kills and three total blocks. Murrell returned to the lineup after a seven-match absence because of injury and tallied eight kills and four total blocks.
Lane hit a season-high .437 on eight kills over the third and fourth sets to spark the Blue Dragons
Libero Shelby Reeder had 25 digs to lead an 84-dig effort by the Blue Dragons. Reeder now has 13 matches of 20 or more digs this season,
Hillary English finished with a match-high 21 points to lead the Conquistadors. Loren Rodriguez had 12 kills.