Hanover Survives Anderson Rally in Five Sets

It came down to a 15-15 tie in the fifth set, but Hanover College scored two consecutive points to secure a 25-16, 25-18, 18-25, 22-25, 17-15 Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference (HCAC) victory and survive a rally from the Anderson University volleyball team on Saturday in Hanover.

Hanover (14-9, 5-2) took the first two sets, but Anderson (10-12, 3-4) came back to even the series at 2-2. Neither team led by more than two points in the fifth set, but Hanover won the nail biter.

"After a very slow start, we dug deep and fought back to come back and make it a great match," Coach Tami Miller said. "Felicity Bontrager led us offensively with an impressive .545 and 13 kills. Tess Perdue contributed 12 kills and 24 digs, while Sydney McClain added 12 kills as well. Our backcourt did a great job of keeping plays alive for us and was led by Brooke Troyer with another strong performance by Erin Roach."

Anderson finished with the higher attack percentage of .167 in comparison to Hanover's .152 hitting percentage. The Panthers held the advantage, committing 34 unforced errors in comparison to Anderson's 54 unforced errors.

"At the end of the day, it comes down to unforced errors. If we eliminate those, we give ourselves a chance to win."

Felicity Bontrager (Goshen, Ind. / Fairfield) led the Ravens with 13 kills and a .545 attack percentage. The senior middle hitter from Goshen also paced the Ravens with four blocks. Tess Perdue (Lexington, Ky. / West Jessamine) notched 12 kills and a team-high 24 digs. Kaycie Gates (Newburgh, Ind. / Castle) dished out 31 assists. Shaylen Perry (Eaton, Ohio / Eaton) tallied 12 kills and three blocks. Sydney McClain (Urbana, Ohio / Emmanuel Christian Academy) smashed 11 kills. Brooke Troyer (Elkhart, Ind. / Elkhart Memorial) scattered 21 digs. Erin Roach (Selma, Ind. / Wapahani) collected 13 digs. Kate Todd (Festus, Mo. / Festus) dished out 21 assists, Ally Hall (Pendleton, Ind. / Pendleton Heights) provided 10 digs and Olivia Ricica (Bryan, Ohio / Fairview) turned in five kills.

Anderson hosts Manchester University (11-13, 3-4) in HCAC action on Wednesday for Senior Day at 7 p.m. in O.C. Lewis Gymnasium. The Ravens will be recognizing seniors Bontrager, Gates, Melanie Marchena (Destin, Fla. / Rocky Bayou Christian School), Alexis Sorrell (Hudsonville, Mich. / Unity Christian) and Troyer.