By: Garrett Connor
The McPherson College volleyball team’s season ended on Saturday morning, November 16, following hard-fought games Friday night at the Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference (KCAC) tournament. The Bulldogs entered the tournament as the 5th seed with a record of 15-11. They faced off against the York Panthers to begin the tournament. After a well-played battle, the Bulldogs grinded out a five-set victory after losing their first set. Their night was not finished yet. Following the match against York, the Bulldogs had to face the 4th seed, Kansas Wesleyan Coyotes, in the quarterfinals. McPherson took the previous match versus Kansas Wesleyan on October 12 of this year. The Bulldogs came out on fire and swept the Coyotes in just three sets. Sophomore Alex Parish pointed out that the upset showed the Bulldogs were “capable of winning and prevailing against any obstacles that came our way during the season.” This punched their ticket to the semifinals where they would face the best team in the KCAC, University of Saint Mary. McPherson’s Cinderella story ended with a 3-0 loss to Saint Mary on Saturday morning. The Bulldogs battled until the end with the first and third sets being close. The team ended with a 17-12 record under first-year head coach Cory Cahill. For Jamie Siess, Kaitlyn Heinis, Alicia Hall, Bree Wallace and Elizabeth Williams, their volleyball careers at McPherson College are over. Over four years, they achieved a record of 94-40, which included a 34-4 season that sent the team to the NAIA National Tournament and brought home a KCAC Conference Title.
