WINONA LAKE, Ind. - The upset bid by Grace's volleyball team came up short on Wednesday against No. 19 Mt. Vernon Nazarene.

The Lancers won the opening set, but the Cougars responded by winning the next three en route to a 3-1 victory at the Manahan Orthopaedic Capital Center.

The first set was a back-and-forth battle between the Crossroads League foes. The Cougars pounced ahead early by winning five of the first six points.

MVNU still led 10-5 before Grace roared to life. Grace quickly tied the score at 13-13 and pulled in front with a kill from Jadyn Ross and an ace from Emma Blackford.

Grace built its cushion up to 22-17 after a block from Sahara Bee and Alisha Leffring, forcing an MVNU timeout. The Cougars then rallied admirably and leveled the score at 24-24 with three straight points.

Grace was undaunted, however, clinching the set with a kill from Ross and a block by Tate and Ross. Grace had 14 kills in the set, their highest total of the match.

The Cougars swiftly evened the match. MVNU won the second set 25-13 as Grace's offense was muted to just four kills.

The Lancers' offense was much better in the third set; Grace had its most efficient percentage at .176.
Grace led 10-6 early in the third set, but MVNU responded immediately to tie the score at 11-11.

Not long afterwards, the Cougars ran off five straight points to open up a small cushion. The Lancers used two late timeouts but were unable to bridge the gap, slipping 25-21. 

The Cougars wasted little time building a lead in the fourth set, sprinting in front 13-6. Grace struggled to piece together a rally; eight attacking errors in the set hurt Grace's cause in a 25-17 defeat.

Grace only had four fewer kills in the match than MVNU, but the Cougars had nine fewer attacking errors to hit at a .183 percentage. Grace hit .067 as a team.

Ross had a double-double with 10 kills and 10 digs, and Leffring produced 10 kills, 2 solo blocks and 6 block assists.

Katie Swanson pounded out nine kills on a .350 percentage, McKenzie Stakely finished with a team-high 12 digs, Bee had four block assists, and Paige Vander Goot chipped in eight digs.

Riley Owens tallied 17 assists and six digs, and Morgan Syoen added 10 assists and five digs.

The Lancers will remain at home on Friday for a 7 p.m. match against Huntington.