Des Moines, Iowa - The No. 21 Central Methodist Volleyball team fought their way past a tough Grand View squad Friday night in Des Moines, Iowa.
Central defeated the Vikings in four sets by scores of 25-19, 22-25, 25-23 and 25-20. With the win, the Eagles improve to 22-5 and 11-2 in the Heart of America. Grand View falls to 11-13 and 9-4 in conference action.
After cruising in the first set, Central found themselves trailing in set two. The Eagles hit just .086 in the second set, compared to .163 for the Vikings.
Grand View ultimately won the second set after scoring four of the final five points to even the match, 1-1.
The Vikings looked poised to take set three as well, opening the frame on a 5-1 scoring run. Central would continue to trail through the latter of the set, with Grand View holding a 21-18 advantage.
However, CMU rattled off four consecutive points, highlighted by back-to-back kills from Martina Gonzato, a kill from Lauryn Farish, and a service ace from Joana Milho. Central grabbed a 22-21 lead and never looked back, ultimately winning the set, 25-23.
Grand View continued to fight and once again held an early set advantage in the fourth frame. Trailing 5-2, Central chipped away at the deficit and ultimately got out in front 11-10.
Central extended its lead to 14-10 following consecutive kills from Lauren Strange, Milho, and Gonzato. Mirroring their rally in set three, CMU took hold of the set and never reliquished their lead.
Gonzato had the best game of her career, registering 20 kills and an even .400 hitting percentage. The 20 kills tie her for the fifth most in a four-set match in program history.
Milho proved to be a key factor as well, adding 10 kills and seven digs in the match. Super senior Annabelle Maassen, provided a steady leadership presence on the floor, tallying 10 digs, six kills and a service ace.
Freshman setter, Giulia Gainelli, orchestrated the offense with 27 assists in addition to 10 digs for a double double. Senior libero Rita Campos anchored the defense with a team high 23 digs.
Senior setter Gabi Owczarek dished out 20 assists and picked up five digs in the win.
Central closes the weekend out with a matchup against William Penn Saturday, Oct. 26 at 6:30 p.m. in Oskaloosa, Iowa. They will look to extend their win streak to seven matches with a victory.
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