Eagles Conclude Conference Play on Own Terms

ANKENY, Iowa – The lady Eagles defended their home turf for the final time in the 2021-2022 season, taking on a burst of competition in a busy conference weekend. The conference play was a good warmup for the upcoming conference tournament play, where the Eagles will find themselves competing as the #4 seed against Calvary University.

Results were mixed throughout the weekend, with a 2-2 record for the Eagles testifying their strengths and weaknesses against season-long foes. Their first game was the closest challenge for either side, with the ladies going head-to-head with the Barclay Bears in a close 3-2 loss. The game boiled down to an epic marathon as to which team could outlast the other in rallies, a lesson Faith would not soon forget in their next two games. The Eagles bounced back strong versus Trinity Bible College, claiming two hard-fought wins to extend their dominance over the Lions for their third win-in-three game of the season. The final test of the weekend came in a match against the Manhattan Thunder, a team that has shown to be the Achilles heel for the Eagles offense all season long. Brenna McNellis has been an attacking giant for the Thunder, and her 12 kills against the Eagles' best blockers was a huge blow. Faith gave up the final point on an unfortunate rotation error, conceding 3-0 in their last regular season battle with the Thunder.  

The Eagles had their champion moments throughout, with several key players stepping up for Faith. Morgan Stephens recorded an average 20 digs per game through all 4 matches, with Makenna Laib following close behind with an average of 14 digs. Sierra Udd claimed the serve line with 7 service aces, and Rachel Kleczka challenged the opposition with a grand total of 48 kills. The Eagles averaged 2.7% kills against the Thunder versus 16.9% from the Manhattan O-line, a stat that will need to be reversed in preparation for the upcoming tournament.

The Eagles play next at Union College on October 26, 2021, at 6:00 PM.