Doane Drops First Home Match of Season

CRETE, Neb. – Doane Volleyball opened conference play Wednesday night at home but fell to longtime rival Hastings, 3-1 (21-25, 25-20, 26-24, 25-18), in a hard-fought Great Plains Athletic Conference matchup at Haddix Center.

The Tigers started strong, taking the first set 25-21 behind an efficient .367 hitting percentage and timely kills from outside hitter Brooke Larsen. Doane carried momentum into the second frame, but Hastings responded with steady defense and serving pressure, evening the match with a 25-20 decision.

The third set proved pivotal. Doane held a late lead, but Hastings rallied to edge the Tigers 26-24 in extra points. That swing carried into the fourth, where the Broncos closed the night with a 25-18 win to secure the match.

Larsen powered the Tigers' attack with 18 kills and 17 digs, while Addison Raebel added 12 kills and three blocks. Setter Camdyn Carpenter directed the offense with 48 assists and chipped in 11 digs. At the net, Doane tallied 8 team blocks, led by Hilary Hupp (4) and Kate Roseland (3).

Defensively, Doane kept rallies alive with 80 digs, highlighted by Kaylee Rammell's 20 and Lillian Parolek's 17. The Tigers also recorded three service aces, including key contributions from Sydney Estill and Chloe Rose.

Hastings countered with a balanced effort. Mikah O'Neill was a difference-maker, notching 16 kills on .577 hitting efficiency, while libero Lainey Benson collected 25 digs. The Broncos out-dug Doane 87-80 and finished with seven service aces to help swing momentum in the final two sets.

With the loss, Doane drops to 7-6 overall, 0-1 GPAC, while Hastings improves to 4-7, 1-0 GPAC.

The Tigers will look to bounce back with another home contest this weekend when they take on Mount Marty. First serve is set for Saturday afternoon at 1 PM for the varsity with the junior varsity to follow.