Broncbusters beat Colby; end decade-long drought

Colby, KS-Patrick Hiltz is all about ending streaks, and on Wednesday night, his team ended a big one. 

Apolline Lepuissant had 14 kills, Tola Maczka added 32 assists, and Garden City snapped a 21-match skid to Colby with a four-set 25-16, 25-14, 17-25, 25-20 victory Wednesday night at The Events Center. The Broncbusters improved to 12-7 overall and 3-3 in conference play.  

"I'm so proud of these girls," Hiltz said afterwards. "They played so well tonight." 

Carly Lang added nine kills for Garden City, which beat Colby for the first time since the 2012 postseason. Julia Brazil had eight kills.  

"I can't say enough about this team," Hiltz added. "Their love for the game of volleyball and their love for each other is just a blessing to watch let alone be a part of. There were moments tonight where our focus and confidence could have gotten away from us, but they stood resilient, believed in each other and themselves and kept fighting."  

Garden City came out on fire in the opening set. Lepuissant pounded home a kill, Brazil followed with a solid attack, and Lepuissant dropped in a service ace to give the Broncbusters a 7-3 edge. Following a Trojan timeout, Lang tipped the ball over the net, Pinar Dugeroglu's serve landed just out of the reach of the Colby backline, and Maczka passed to Lepuissant whose emphatic spike gave Garden City an 18-11 edge. The Trojans didn't get any closer than four the rest of the way.  

"The girls believed," Hiltz said. "They executed at a high level and trusted in their own strengths." 

That execution was on full display in the second as the Broncbusters jumped out to a 5-0 advantage. And by the time veteran Colby coach, Carey Jones called a timeout, Garden City had a 13-6 cushion. Lepuissant followed with a pair of kills, Lang smashed home a successful attack, and the visitors had a double-digit lead.  

"Our team will not quit," Hiltz reiterated. "They will fight to the end, and tonight, we got a big win on the road over a very well coached team." 

Garden City's only blemish of the night came in the third. Trailing 15-13, the Trojans closed on a 10-4 run to take the set. But the Broncbusters bounced back in the fourth, and with the game tied at 19, Garden City took advantage of back-to-back Colby miscues. Dugeroglu and Lepuissant combined for consecutive kills, and Viola Giangreco's attack sailed long, putting the finishing touches on Garden City's first win over Colby in more than a decade.  

"Our serve-receive group was excellent tonight vs. some very very tough serving," Hiltz said. This was a huge battle within the game for us."