By Jacob Norling
November 30, 2022
 
(SIOUX CITY, Iowa.) After dropping the first set, Westmont Volleyball (24-6) stormed back in grand fashion to upset #3 Midland (Neb.) (26-5) in four sets open pool play at the NAIA National Championships. Following the win, Westmont now fully controls their destiny in their quest to advance. With a win over Bellevue (Neb.) on Thursday, Westmont would become one of eight teams remaining.
 
"This was absolutely incredible," said Westmont head coach Ruth McGolpin. "The blocking came alive in sets two, three, and four, and the defensive effort was spectacular. Kaili Hashimoto and Ilyssa Ocampo anchored the passing and serving, Phoebe Minch took risks offensively and came alive, and we slowed them down with our ability to block.
 
"Taylor Distelberg came up big with her kills and her blocking. She ended up hitting .529, and with that, her serving and defense were incredible."
 
Minch led Westmont offensively with 19 kills to go along with an attack percentage of .350, while Distelberg's 11 kills was the next-highest total for the team. Hashimoto recorded a game-high 22 digs, while setter Keelyn Kistner was next on the team with 15.
 
Kistner also collected 21 assists, while freshman Alexa Shiner added in 22 of her own. The two setters were also responsible for Westmont's four service aces, with each Warrior recording a pair.
 
At the net, Lexi Malone led Westmont with seven blocks, while Distelberg and Sara Krueger each recorded four as well. Overall, Westmont's excellent blocking allowed the victors to hold Midland to an attack percentage of .088.
 
Towards the end of the first set, Westmont began to pull away with a 22-19 lead going into Midland's final timeout. As time would tell, Midland's adjustment during the stoppage was enough to turn the game on its ear. Trailing 22-19, back-to-back kills sparked an eventual 6-0 run for Midland, allowing them to steal the first set with a come-from-behind 25-22 victory. Still, after losing the late advantage, Westmont was far from panic.
 
"We continued to trust the process after set one," assured McGolpin. "We had the lead and let it slip, but you could tell that the team remained confident. Knowing that game could've been theirs gave them the confidence to keep swinging."
 
Down 1-0, Minch and Malone announced Westmont's official arrival with four kills in five possessions, forcing Midland to call an early timeout trailing 5-1. Eventually, Midland clawed back to tie the set at 15, but immediately after, Westmont responded with a pair of kills from Minch followed by another from Ashley Boswell.
 
After Westmont earned a 19-15 advantage, Midland never got back within less than three. Eventually, one of Distelberg's 11 kills gave Westmont a 25-19 win to even the match.
 
In set three, Midland settled back in as the higher-seeded Warriors took an 11-8 lead into double-digits. Moments later, trailing 13-11, Westmont began their game-changing run. First, a kill from Jessie Terlizzi pulled Westmont back within one, and moments later, Terlizzi struck again to put Westmont up 15-14.
 
Up 18-16, Westmont put set three to bed early when Distelberg, Krueger, and Minch combined for four-consecutive kills to put Westmont on the brink up 22-16. In the end, a Midland attacking error put Westmont up 2-1 with a 25-19 win in the swing game.
 
With a chance to end things in four, Westmont came out with an early knockout punch. Minch opened set four with a kill, sending the senior Kistner to the service line. By the time Kistner was forced to rotate, Midland had already used a timeout as Westmont sprinted to an 8-0 advantage. From there, it was a matter of holding Midland at bay.
 
Midland called their final timeout trailing 18-8, which preceded a four-point run for the team that saw them pull within six at 18-12. At that time, McGolpin called a time to weather the storm. Midland got back within five at 19-14, but the calm, cool, and collected Westmont Warriors continued their march to 25.
 
Up 24-20, a service error by Midland gave Westmont a 25-20 win, a 3-1 match victory, and a chance to advance as early as Thursday.
 
"It was a complete team effort," said a proud McGolpin who was quick to turn the page. "Bellevue is a good team, and we know they're going to be hungry after we played them in the preseason. We'll get together tonight, watch film, and be ready to get right back after it tomorrow."
 
On Thursday at 1:00 p.m. CST/11:00 a.m. PST, the Warriors and Bruins will share the floor for the first time since Westmont swept Bellevue on September 3. Overall, the Bruins come in with a record of 27-7, posting a conference record of 13-1 in North Star play.
 
With a win over Bellevue, Westmont would advance to the Quarterfinals on Saturday, December 3. Links to live coverage of the NAIA National Championships are available on the Westmont Athletics website.
 
*With a loss on Thursday, Westmont's fate would hang in the balance depending on a Friday match between Bellevue and Midland.*