Men's volleyball wins GPAC opener over KWU

SIOUX CITY, IOWA – The Mustangs opened the 2024 Great Plains Athletic Conference men's volleyball season on the right foot, picking up a conference win over Kansas Wesleyan 25-21, 25-18, 20-25, and 25-18.

Morningside made an effort to come from behind in set three to secure the win, rattling off four consecutive points to move the needle from 21-13 to 21-17 and put pressure on the Coyotes. The Mustangs didn't make the same mistake in the fourth set, grabbing a lead after breaking a 4-4 tie and leading to the final point.

Natan Alves led Morningside's offense, totaling 20 kills in the match as he hit .245. Isaiah Baynes had 14 kills, Tharen Cox had nine, and Jacob Baynes had seven. Cox led the regular crew with a hitting percentage of .421, though Michael Padilla subbed in in a pinch and connected for a single kill on one attempt for a 1.000 kill percentage. Jacob DePauw ran the offense as setter, collecting 42 assists. 

Isaiah Baynes had 19 digs in the contest, while Alves had 13 as KWU tried to avoid Owen Anderson, this week's GPAC defender of the week. Anderson finished the night with nine digs, alongside DePauw and one ahead of Jacob Baynes, who had eight.

Cox, DePauw, and Branton Jones each had three block assists, while Alves had two and Isaiah Baynes had one.

The Mustangs are back on the court tomorrow, playing their second conference match in two days as Central Christian's Tigers step into Allee Gym for a 1:00 contest.