Mustangs pick up first Heart win in upset of Dordt

SIOUX CENTER, IOWA – Morningside opened its debut season as a men's volleyball affiliate of the Heart of America Conference in grand fashion, picking up a 3-1 win over fellow Heart newcomer, Dordt. 

The Defenders, who were receiving votes in the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics preseason coaches top 15 poll, picked up the second set of the match as Morningside won 25-20, 20-25, 25-15, and 25-17 in a typically hostile De Witt Gymnasium.

Dordt out-blocked Morningside 11-7, yet the Mustangs saw strong defensive numbers from throughout the lineup. At the net, Natan Alves had four block assists, followed by Sam Benick and Tharen Cox, who had three each.

Kirby Schmalz, who had the team's only solo block, led the way in the back row, collecting 12 of Morningside's 34 digs. Alves, Owen Anderson, and Mohamed Benkrid followed with five apiece.

On offense, it was Jacob DePauw doing the dishing, tallying 35 assists in the four-setter. Alves had 14 kills, Schmalz had 13, and Benkrid had 10.

Morningside hosts a pair of Heart matches this weekend, with no. 3 Grand View and no. 5 William Penn playing their first matches as conference opponents on Friday at 7 p.m. and Saturday at 11 a.m.