By: Mike Smith
Box Score Still with plenty to play for the Dodge City Community College volleyball team welcomed #14 Seward County to town for the regular-season home finale.
The Conquistadors with a win would solidify themselves in the four spot in the Conference and earn a first-round home playoff contest. While it was a battle on the court the Conqs fell to the Saints in a tough five-set battle 23-25, 25-20, 25-18, 22-25, 12-15; the loss moves the Conqs to a 15-8 record and 7-8 in the KJCCC. The Conqs will look to secure the four spot in Conference in the regular-season finale on Wednesday at Garden City.
Conqs took the early lead in the first set, but the set would be tied up at 17-17 and then the Saints took the lead ultimately holding off the Conqs to take the first set 25-23. The Conqs responded in a strong way taking the second set 25-20 capping the set in a strong fashion. Midway through the third set the Conqs established control and went on to widen the gap in the and take the set 25-18. In set four Seward grabbed a 5-3 lead and would not relinquish the lead despite the Conqs' best efforts to come back including a late 7-0 run in the set, as the Saints took the set 25-22. In the fifth set, Seward County worked out to a 9-3 advantage and used that to earn the match win behind a 15-12 fifth set.
In the loss, the Conqs saw
Hillary English match her career-high in kills posting 24 and finished with a double-double recording 16 digs and added three aces.
Ozge Tan added 10 kills and 11 digs, along with a pair of aces and four block assists. It was another strong performance by Nur Yaren Turkmenoglu who had 40 assists, 10 digs, six kills, an ace, solo block, and block assist.
Bruna Torres recorded 28 digs on the night, while
Antia Vallecas Rodriguez added 14 digs and six kills.
The Conqs will wrap up the regular season on Wednesday, October 27th at 6:30 pm on the road against Garden City and with a win will finish in fourth in the KJCCC and secure a home playoff game.