Mustangs fall in men's volleyball semifinals

JAMESTOWN, N.D. – Morningside's men's volleyball team showed that it was there to compete and not be overlooked this postseason as it ventured north to play the Jimmies of the University of Jamestown in the GPAC tournament semifinals.  The top-seeded Jimmies swept the Mustangs, 25-21, 25-14, and 25-14.

Morningside, having won its first postseason game in program history on Saturday, could already have counted this season as a success, especially under the direction of first-year and rookie head coach Addison Mertler.  The Mustangs instead opted to show fans a glimpse of what is yet to come, showing a level of heart that's normally reserved for your favorite sports movie.  The undersized and shorthanded Morningside squad competed from the beginning, showing the no. 7 Jimmies that they'd have to play if they wanted to move on to the conference championship.

"I'm really proud of how the guys fought until the end and fought for every point," said Mertler.  "With all the adversity that these guys have gone through, it truly shows the character and hear that they have."

The Mustangs' attack fell victim to agitation from Jamestown's defense, striking for 21 kills, but with 21 attacking errors.  Isaiah Baynes led Morningside's attack, with nine kills, trailing only Jamestown's Samuel Jackman for the match lead.  Erik Krenz followed with six kills of his own.

Baynes also led the way on defense, recording six digs and a block.  Krenz again followed with five digs and a block.  Jacob Baynes made his own case for the defensive lead, taking the top spot on the block with four blocks and four matching digs, while Dylan Hamil followed the same path to four digs and three blocks.

"We obviously have a lot of room to grow, but these guys have proven that they already have the desire, and that's the most difficult part to cultivate," reflected Mertler.

Morningside concludes its season with a 7-18 mark, having won four conference matches during the regular season, and resetting more than a 15 school records along the way.  It secured its first postseason victory and recorded the longest win streak in program history.

"This is an extremely talented group of guys, and I'm excited to continue working with everyone.  To see how they've grown and what they've done so far is promising for the future."