Fayette, Mo. - The No. 10 Central Methodist volleyball team picked up its fourth consecutive victory, defeating Evangel in straight sets 25-19, 25-20, and 25-16 Tuesday night in Puckett Fieldhouse.
With the win, the Eagles conclude the fall season with a record of 11-3 and a 9-3 mark in conference action, solidifying a second-place finish in the Heart South Division standings behind first-place Park. Tonight's win marks the 10th sweep of the season for CMU and the second victory over Evangel in 2020.
Tonight's match also marked the final contest of senior setter Shannon Peters' illustrious career, as she will graduate in December. The Waverly, Mo., native concludes her career playing in 435 sets and collecting 1138 digs. She leaves Central as the career record holder for assists with 2,966, just 14 shy of 3,000, and is fourth all-time in service aces (86).
Jordan Wolfe led the offense with 17 kills on 32 swings, good for a hitting percentage of .469. She also added five digs and a solo block. Callie Henson also reached double-digit kills with 10 along with two digs and three block assists.
Grace Stumbaugh nearly cracked double figures with eight kills, two digs, two solo blocks, and two block assists.
The CMU defense was sharp throughout the contest, as the Eagles held Evangel to a .125 hitting percentage for the match and 16 attack errors. Four Eagles reached double-digit digs, as Krystal Brauner led the pack with 14, while Elise Hardesty-Irvin, Peters, and Annabelle Maassen each collected 10.
Hardesty-Irvin dished out a game-high 18 assists, while Peters followed closely behind with 13, good enough to earn the pair each a double-double.
The Eagles finished the evening with 10 total team blocks and an overall hitting percentage of .297. Central saved their best offensive performance for the final set, closing the match hitting .394.
Central has solidified its spot as the No. 2 seed in the South Division for the Heart of America Athletic Conference tournament. The conference office announced Tuesday night that the tournament will move to the spring, with dates to be announced at a later time. To view the release from the conference office, please click here.
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