Storm cap opening weekend with another straight set victory

PELLA, Iowa – The Simpson College women's volleyball team completed a flawless opening weekend with a 3-0 sweep of Bethany Lutheran on Saturday.

The Storm (2-0) turned in another efficient performance, hitting .320 as a team with 36 kills and just 12 errors. Simpson also held its own from the service line with nine aces and picked up 32 digs to keep the Vikings (0-2) at bay. Peyton Mitchell and Emily Williams powered the attack, both hitting over .600.

HOW IT HAPPENED
Set 1 (Simpson 25, Bethany Lutheran 16)

• Jada Schmidt and Peyton Mitchell opened the match with back-to-back kills to grab momentum early.
• Two kills from Emily Williams along with a Mitchell ace stretched the lead to 10-4.
• Hannah Jansen fueled a late 5-0 run with two aces before Morgan DenBeste finished it off with a kill.

Set 2 (Simpson 25, Bethany Lutheran 22)

• The Vikings used a hot serving stretch to flip a 4-1 deficit into a 6-4 lead.
• Simpson mounted a comeback midway through with a 7-1 run that gave the Storm a 14-12 lead.
• The Storm won nine of the final 12 rallies to take a two-set lead.

Set 3 (Simpson 25, Bethany Lutheran 17)

• Neither team led by more than two points until back-to-back kills from Wililams and DenBeste put Simpson ahead 19-16.
• The Storm added to the run with five more consecutive points capped off by a block from Emmy Seiler and Caroline Kinkeade. A Viking error completed the sweep.

STARS OF THE GAME

• Peyton Mitchell: 10 kills (.615), 3 blocks, 2 aces, 2 digs
• Emily Williams: 8 kills (.615), 2 digs
• Jada Schmidt: 6 kills, 3 digs, 2 aces
• Morgan DenBeste: 5 kills, 12 assists, 4 digs
• Lauren Dockendorff: 12 assists, 6 digs

UP NEXT
Simpson heads back to Pella on Tuesday to face Knox in another nonconference match. First serve is set for 5 p.m.