Ravens Fall to Panthers in HCAC Tournament

The Anderson University volleyball team competed in the Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference Tournament quarterfinals on Wednesday in Hanover against the Hanover College Panthers. Anderson, which came in as the No. 5 seed, fell to the fourth-seeded Panthers 3-0 (15-25, 25-27, 11-25). The loss concluded the Ravens' season, who ended the 2021-22 season with an 11-13, 4-5 record.

The first set saw the Panthers go on a 5-0 run before Felicity Bontrager (Goshen, Ind. / Fairfield) put the Ravens on the board with a kill. Hanover (17-9) would then follow with another run, this time picking up four points to make it a 9-1 game. Both teams would then start to exchange points, but the Panthers consistently held a 10-point lead over the Ravens. At the end of the set Hanover secured a 25-15 victory.

Anderson picked up the first two points of Set 2. Hanover then tied it 2-2 before the two teams went back and forth to a 6-6 tie. The Ravens then picked up three points, with the last coming off a kill from Tess Perdue (Lexington, Ky. / West Jessamine) for a 9-6 lead. Although Hanover was applying the offensive pressure, Anderson was able to stay ahead, at one point leading after a kill by Jimena Montano (Algonquin, Ill. / Harvest Christian Academy) and two service aces from Erin Roach (Selma, Ind. / Wapahani). Both teams were then tied up 14-14, then 15-15. The Ravens once again went on another run, building a 20-15 lead. Hanover then went on a run of its own, tying the game up at 20 apiece. The Ravens and Panthers then would exchange points, last being tied at 25-25 before the Panthers secured the final two points to take the set.

The third set saw a dominating offense from Hanover. Anderson would take the first point before the Panthers took a 4-1 lead. A kill by Felicity Bontrager brought the Ravens within two but the Panthers would then take two points of their own. Then a kill by Jimena Montano made it a three-point game. The set would sit at 7-4 in favor of Hanover before the Panthers went on a five-point run. The Ravens would pick up one point before another Panther five-point run ensued. Anderson took a couple points to make it a 10-19 game. A kill by Felicity Bontrager would be the Ravens last point of the match as the Panthers closed out the set with a 25-11 victory.

Inside the box score, Felicity Bontrager led the Ravens with seven kills and a .375 hitting percentage. Jimena Montano had six kills and two blocks. Brooke Troyer (Elkhart, Ind. / Elkhart Memorial) picked up 16 digs to end the night.

As the 2021-2022 season comes to the end, the Ravens will be graduating five seniors: Felicity Bontrager, Kaycie Gates (Newburgh, Ind. / Castle), Melanie Marchena (Destin, Fla. / Rocky Bayou Christian School), Alexis Sorrell (Hudsonville, Mich. / Unity Christian), and Brooke Troyer. Congratulations to these five seniors and their accomplishments as a Raven on and off the court!

Coach Tami Miller had this to say after the match: "I am disappointed that we did not come out ready to compete. I give Hanover a lot of credit in that they were prepared to take out our offense and they did just that. I am sad for our seniors who had to finish their season [on Wednesday]. They deserved more out of us [on Wednesday] than what we gave them as a team. They have a lot to be proud of this season and in their careers. They had a great season this year, one that is even better than the final score reflects. We will miss every single one of these young ladies!"