Garden City ousts Dodge City in four

By Mike Pilosof

Photo by Adam Shrimplin

Garden City, KS-It's only one match, but Garden City is looking like a legitimate conference contender.

Fiona Arnold posted 14 kills, Emmah Sultz had 15 assists, Tola Maczka added nine aces, and Garden City toppled conference-rival Dodge City in four sets Wednesday night at Conestoga Arena, 26-24, 25-21, 22-25, 25-22. The Broncbusters improved to 9-2 overall and 1-0 in the Jayhawk.

"I really just went with the flow," Maczka said. "I really love playing in games like this." 

For most of the night, Garden City fed off the electric atmosphere.  The Broncbusters raced out to an 8-2 lead in the opening set, then held off every Dodge City rally before Hannah Brandt's service ace put the home team up, 1-0.

"It was really important for us to find our momentum again," Head Coach Patrick Hiltz said. "This team never quits."

Perseverance was the name of the game in set two. The Broncbusters fell behind 11-5 after Maczka's attack sailed long. But it didn't take long for Hiltz's bunch to get back in it. Apollline Lepuisssamt and Brandt combined for back-to-back kills, Maczka got her hands up for a block at the net, and Garden reeled off six straight points to tie it up. Brandt then added a block, and Maczka dropped in consecutive aces to polish off a 12-2 run that gave Garden City a 17-13 advantage. Once Dodge City drew even at 19, the home team scored six of the final eight points to take a 2-0 lead. 

"I've always said that if we are within two points at any given time, we have a shot," Hiltz explained. " 

In the third, Garden City nearly pulled off a miracle. Dodge City was rolling, and following Miya Alvarado's ace, the Conquistadors were up 20-8. That's when the Broncbusters went to work. Lepuissant sent a rocket over the net, Maczka recorded back-to-back aces, Brandt swatted back a Dodge City attack, and Maczka added two more perfect serves, capping off a 10-0 run that pulled Garden City within two, 20-18. They made it a one-point game following a Dodge City timeout when Martyna Kmuk's tap landed out of bounds. But that's as close as Garden City got. Kmuk and Oliwia Durka smashed back-to-back kills to keep the Conquistadors alive. 

"When we can serve the ball in the court the way we did tonight, we always have a shot," Hiltz added. 

Garden City was down by as many as three in the fourth. But Ozge Yavuz block reignited the crowd. Arnold sent a crosscourt kill past two Dodge City players, Maczka added another ace, and Jelena Milovanovic and Arnold provided back-to-back spikes to give the Broncbusters a 22-21 edge. A Dodge City service error followed by a pair of Arnold aces gave Garden City its best start in nearly two decades.

"We're 12 deep," Hiltz said. "It really doesn't matter what combination of players that we put out on the floor, we feel we have a great opportunity to win." 

Milovanovic added 11 kills for Garden City, and Lepuissant had nine. Yavuz tallied four blocks.