Valparaiso University

The Valpo volleyball team completed its swing through Iowa Saturday evening, falling in four sets (25-23, 20-25, 14-25, 25-27) at Drake in Des Moines.
 
How It Happened

• The Beacons trailed 21-18 late in set one before scoring seven of the set's final nine points to prevail. Ava Helming (Johnston, Iowa/Johnston) picked up back-to-back kills to turn a 23-22 deficit into set point at 24-23, and Mia McCall (St. Charles, Ill./St. Charles North) registered a service ace to give Valpo the opener.
• Valpo led 15-14 at the media timeout of the second set before the Bulldogs scored seven of the next eight points out of the stoppage. Drake earned set point at 24-17, and while the Beacons held off three chances, the Bulldogs converted on their fourth to even the match.
• Drake jumped out to a 10-3 advantage in set three on its way to taking a 2-1 lead.
• Valpo looked like it might have control of the fourth set after consecutive blocks by Jessica Pickett (Carmel, Ind./Carmel) and Pickett gave the Beacons a 16-12 lead. But the Bulldogs reeled off five straight points, and neither squad led by more than two points the rest of the way.
• It was the Beacons with a 23-21 edge late, and despite two straight points from Drake, a Maggie Uhwat (Spring Grove, Ill./Richmond Burton Community [Central Michigan]) kill had Valpo within one point of forcing a fifth set. But Drake got a kill of its own to extend the set, and while the Beacons were able to hold off one match point for the Bulldogs, the hosts finished the match on their second chance.

 
Inside the Match

• Helming led the Beacons in the kills department for the second time in as many days, picking up 16 kills, and added 12 digs for her seventh double-double of the season.
• Jordyn Gove (Amarillo, Texas/Randall) picked up her 12^th double-double this year, finishing with 10 kills and 10 digs.
• For the fourth straight match, Keira Lucas (Brazil, Ind./Northview) paced Valpo in digs, ending the night with 17 digs.
• McCall racked up a team-high 23 assists, while Kyla Bellich (Thomson, Ill./Prince of Peace Catholic) led the Beacons in blocks for the first time in her career, picking up four rejections.
• Drake held a 59-49 advantage in kills over Valpo and hit at a .235 clip to the Beacons' .117 clip, thanks in large part to the Bulldogs' 13 blocks.

 
Next Up
Valpo (11-9, 3-5 MVC) makes the short trip to Chicago on Thursday to take on UIC at 6 p.m.