The William Jewell volleyball team nearly pulled off one of the toughest things in the game as they rallied from two sets down to force a fifth set before falling 16-14 in the finale. The Cardinals moved to 10-15 on the season and 4-6 in Great Lakes Valley Conference play. 


How it Happened

• Jewell fell into an early hole in the opening set, trailing by eight before mounting a rally. The Cardinals pulled within five but Truman closed the set on a 7-0 run. 
• The roles were reversed in the second set as it was Jewell who took the early advantage behind three kills from Paityn Hardison. The Bulldogs responded to take a 19-17 on their way to the 26-24 win. 
• Jewell again took an early lead only to see the Bulldogs rally and pull within one. Two kills from Jessica Jacobs helped Jewell pull ahead 22-19 before winning the set 25-23. 
• The fourth set was a battle until the Cardinals went on a 11-7 run capped by another kill from Jacobs to force the final set. 
• Midway through the finale Jewell went on a 5-0 run to go from down two to up three, aided by four errors from the Bulldogs. After a timeout, momentum turned as Truman went on their on 6-2 run to retake the lead. The two teams battled through five ties and four lead changes over the final points before Truman scored back-to-back points to win. 

For the Cardinals

• Maddie Wingert led the offense with 12 kills on a .400 attack percentage. 
• Lauren Castaneda finished with 23 digs followed by Megan Rhule with 19. 
• Kennedy Ruckh totaled a team-high 23 digs, including 14 through the first two sets alone, while Paityn Hardison added 11. 
• Jacobs finished with a season-high seven kills and five blocks. 

For the Bulldogs

• Ellie Kaat led three Truman players in double-figures with 26 kills followed by Morgan Smith with 17. 
• Lauren Wacker collected a match-high 35 digs. 

Up Next
The Cardinals complete the two-game road trip with a stop at Quincy on Saturday at 3 p.m.