Temo Olvera / Managing Editor

Missouri Valley College vs. Central Methodist was a game of near comebacks. CMU Easily took the first set. Valley took the lead multiple times in the second and third set but lost it to the Eagle offense. 

The CMU Eagles won 25-9, 25-21, 25-22. The Vikings fell 6-9 overall. 

The Vikings started the first set with a handful of errors putting the Eagles up 5-0. Viking #17 Maria Bertholdo and #8 Juliana Oliviera both put up two kills, but the Eagle offense kept CMU ahead 12-5. 

“They swing aggressively and so our biggest challenge today is going to be keeping the ball in play and keeping it off the ground,” Viking #16 Eevie Hopkinson said. 

A few Viking attack errors put the Eagles further ahead 17-5. Viking #4 Lynsey Day and Oliviera both put up kills, but another Viking attack error ended the set with the Eagles on top 25-9

Viking #11 Jisell Chumacero and Bertholdo opened the second set with two double blocks putting Valley ahead 2-1. Viking #2 Nekane Parera and Bertholdo made kills, but Viking errors allowed the Eagles to creep ahead 6-5. 

Viking #12 Ksenija Simun put up her first kill taking back the Valley lead 7-6. The Eagles made back-to-back kills pushing ahead 14-7. The Vikings retaliated with their own volley of points reducing their deficit 15-14. Bertholdo made a kill followed by a Simun ace and kills from Oliviera and Chumacero before Bertholdo made another kill. 

“It makes me feel good that I was helping with something, serving, hitting, and blocking in the second set,” Berthold said. 

An attack and serving error kept the Eagles ahead 14-17, but the Vikings stayed on their tail. Kills from Chumacero, Oliviera, and Parera left the Vikings trailing 18-17. Oliviera tied the score 19-19 with an ace. The Vikings took the lead again when Simun made another kill 20-19.

The Vikings lost their lead after the Eagles made a kill and the Vikings made two attacking errors 23-20. After Valley improved 23-21, Viking #7 Momoko Yokoyama served a ball that stayed in play for nearly a minute being returned by both teams. The rally ended with a point for CMU, but the Vikings said the Eagles made double contact just before they made the kill. 

The Eagles ended the second set with a kill 25-21. 

The third opened with the Eagles on top, but a few attacking errors tied the score 4-4. The Vikings and Eagles stayed right on top of each other from there. A Parera kill followed an Eagle kill. The Vikings missed a couple of blocks and the Eagles made a few errors. Day made a kill followed by an Eagle kill. A Chumacero attack was blocked, then the Eagles made a serving error 9-9.

The Eagles pulled away with six kills 15-12. The Vikings didn’t let them get far before Parera made a kill and was joined by Oliviera for a block 15-15. The Vikings stayed right behind the Eagles until kills by Chumacero and Simun put the Vikings ahead 19-18. 

“On some previous games, I feel I was doing way better,” Bertholdo said. “We were practicing and having games back-to-back and my muscles are heavy. So, I don’t know if I’m just avoiding going to the ground.”

The Eagles took their lead back with five consecutive kills 23-19. Bertholdo and Oliviera kills reduced the Valley deficit 24-22. An Eagle kill ended the set 25-22. 

“I was most worried about playing another game and we saw a little glimpse of it in the second and third set, but we just didn’t stay consistent,” Women’s Volleyball Head Coach Antonija Cooper said. “Next game we’re just going all out.