The Pratt Community College volleyball team edged one game closer to .500 with a win against Garden City Community College. The Beavers went on the road to compete against their conference adversary in a 5-set contest. PCC ultimately walked away with a victory 3-2 (25-22; 23-25; 18-25; 25-22; 15-9).
Pratt found a noticeable lead to begin the first set. The Beavers earned a quick 12-4 score, but Garden battled back to try and take the set. Efforts from both sides resulted in a 22-22 tied game. Pratt managed to break the stalemate after a hitting error from Garden City. The blue and white went on to earn the next two points. Defensive Specialist Gabriela Ortiz put the Beavers at set point with a service ace. The set was topped off with a kill out of the right side by Freshman Olivia Hessman for a final score of 25-22.
The second set of the match started off with a different atmosphere. Garden city jumped out to an early 7-1 start. After a timeout the Beavers bounced back and began to score. Yet another 22-22 tie took place late in the set. A hitting error by Garden put Pratt within two points of the victory. Garden City called a timeout after the error and then earned two points that gave them the set 25-23. PCC earned 14 kills in set two, which was a game high for them, but it was not enough to earn a set two victory.
Garden City carried their energy into the third set as well. Set three did not come without merits for the Beavers however, as they put up three blocks and held the Broncbusters to only 10 kills. Middle blocker Elise Baranco did her part as well to keep PCC in the running. Baranco put away five kills in just the third set. Even with noteworthy individual performances for PCC, Garden City won the set, 25-18.
Pratt picked things back up in set four. Offensively the Beavers were led by outside hitter Stephanie Reichenberger, who tied Baranco for most kills in a single set. Reichenberger laid down five kills for her team that helped to earn a set four victory. The reoccurring theme of late-set ties appeared once more as the conference rivals wound up 23-all before the Beavers came away with the victory. Back-to-back blocks from Pratt buried Garden City. PCC took away two attempts from Garden that could have made the difference and used them to earn the last two points of the set.
After forcing a fifth set, Pratt achieved a 7-1 edge right before the mandatory court switch. The run was fueled by four service aces from the Beavers. Hessman had two aces for the Beavers in the fifth set. Pratt finished off their run with an ace from libero Naomi Warren that earned them the set and match.
PCC competes again on Sept. 29. The Beavers will face off against Hesson College to start the day, and they will finish against Ottawa Junior Varsity for a triangular in Hesston, Kan.