Wednesday UJ Women’s Volleyball GPAC Semifinals Jamestown Defeats

Midland 3-1 25-19,19-25,25-21,25-19

The top-ranked University of Jamestown women’s volleyball team advanced to the finals of the GPAC postseason tournament with a 3-1 win over No. 12 Midland (Neb.) University Wednesday at Harold Newman Arena. Set scores were 25-19, 19-25, 25-21, and 25-19.

Jamestown (25-1), will host No. 5 Northwestern (Iowa) College in the GPAC final on Saturday at 2 p.m. The Jimmies will look to avenge their only loss this season, a 3-1 defeat at Northwestern back on November 5.

Set one saw the Jimmies take an 8-4 lead before Midland rallied to tie the set at 12. UJ was able to regain a four-point lead at 21-17 and eventually went ahead 23-18. A kill by Kalli Hegerle (JR/West Fargo, N.D.) clinched the first set for the Jimmies, one of four for her in the set. Corina Huff (SR/Breezy Point, Minn.) also had four kills in the opener as UJ outhit Midland .171-.045.

Midland fell behind 9-5 in the second set but came back to tie the set at 10. The Warriors then won six of the next nine points to take a 16-13 advantage, then stretched the lead to 19-14. Jamestown was only able to close the gap to four points (21-17) before a pair of Warrior kills and a Jimmie attack error helped even the match at one.

In set three, Midland led 16-14 before a Hegerle kill started a run of five straight points. Jackie Meiklejohn (JR/Dickey, N.D.) served back-to-back aces, and consecutive Warrior attack errors made it 19-16 Jimmies. Midland got within a point at 20-19, but an ace by Sydney Ellingson (SR/Langdon, N.D.), two attack errors, and a Taylor Sabinash (JR/Kensal, N.D.) kills gave UJ a 2-1 match lead.

Hegerle posted four kills and Nicole Schmitz (FR/Oakes, N.D.) added three as turned a slim 14-13 advantage into a 19-15 cushion. The Jimmies finished with five of the set’s final seven points, including another Meiklejohn ace, and Meiklejohn set Hegerle for the match-clinching kill.

UJ outhit Midland overall .150-.113 in a battle of two strong defenses. Midland finished with 10 total blocks while the Jimmies had 11. Jamestown had 77 digs to the Warriors’ 70. Ellingson had 22, while Hannah Schiele (JR/Jamestown, N.D.) and Anna Holen (JR/LaMoure, N.D.) finished with 15, and Megan Gaffaney (JR/Jamestown, N.D.) 10. Gaffaney also had 26 assists. Meiklejohn had 19 assists to go along with six digs.

Hegerle led the offense with 13 kills. Holen had 10 and Jayla Ritter (JR/Forest Lake, Minn.) eight. Ritter hit a team-high .438 and had six total blocks on defense.