Mustang men fall to familiar foes

JAMESTOWN, N.D. – It may have seemed a little like "Groundhog Day" as Morningside's men's volleyball team stepped onto the floor in the University of Jamestown's Harold Newman Arena for the third time in four weeks, ready to face the top-seed Jimmies in the inaugural Great Plains Athletic Conference Postseason Tournament semifinal round. The tournament hosts swept the visiting Mustangs, 3-0, with scores of 25-16, 25-13, and 25-19.

Following sets one and two, which both saw Jamestown win by generous margins, the Mustangs found themselves backed into a corner, facing elimination from the tournament. It was then, in set three, that Morningside dug deep and showed the Jimmies that they weren't going home without a fight.

"Being down 2-0, but battling hard in set three showed a lot about our character," said head coach Theison Anderson. "We weren't going to give up or give in, and if we were going to go down, we'd do it our way. I was proud of the way they played."

Morningside's offense was led by the usual suspects, Tyler Godown (JR/Las Vegas, Nev.) with six kills, and Kahakai Kahoiwai (SO/Wahiana, HI) with five. Setter Kyle Cox (SR/Mancos, Colo.) dished 11 assists in the set.

"I love that we can always count on Kahakai and Tyler to produce," reflected Anderson. "A shout out to Kyle for putting them in a position to be successful."

Jacob Baynes (FR/Mankato, Minn.), making an appearance in the libero role, scooped up six digs, while Jacob Campa (FR/Brentwood, Calif.) followed with two.

This week's match marked the fifth time the Mustangs have played the currently fourth ranked Jimmies, who have been ranked inside the NAIA coaches' poll top 10 every time the teams have clashed. Combined, Morningside's men's and women's volleyball programs have played in Jamestown four times in the last four weeks.