Broncbusters storm back to take down Pratt in five

Pratt, KS-This one was far from pretty, but as Garden City navigates the 2024 season, Saturday's match could serve as a turning point.  

Julia Brazil had 20 kills, Vitoria Reis posted 20 assists, and the Broncbusters stormed back from a two-set hole to beat Pratt in five, 18-25, 22-25, 25-21, 25-21, 19-17. With the win, Garden City improved to 9-5 overall and 3-2 in league play. They are currently in fourth place in the conference standings. 

"We can't go into a match at 50 percent," Head Coach, Jacob Sander said. "That just flat out won't work." 

The first set got away from the Broncbusters early with Pratt using a 17-10 run to open up an eight-point cushion. After Garden City pulled to within six, Vitoria Stedile sent a serve long ending the game.  

"Just way too many mistakes in those first two sets," Sander added.  

In the second, Garden City rallied back from a five-point deficit late only to watch Katy Beeman rack up back-to-back kills to put Pratt up, 2-0.  

But things finally changed in the third.  

Trailing by seven, Garden City rattled off nine straight points, a rally that ended with a Katarina Miscevic block that put the Broncbusters up, 17-15. It was all part of a frantic 17-6 run that was punctuated with a Andrea Djordjevic kill and a Beaver attack error that clinched the set.  

After erasing a five-point deficit in the fourth to even the match, 2-2, the Broncbusters and Beavers went the distance in the fifth. With the game tied at 17, sophomore Carly Lang hammered home a kill to get Garden City to match point. Moments later, Djordjevic sent an attack that landed just inside the left sideline, finishing off the comeback.  

Kinnley Flower had 14 assists and four digs for Garden City, which won for the fourth time in their last five matches. Stedile chipped in 31 digs, and Lang posted 10 kills.  

Francesca Battaaglia had 19 kills and 16 digs for Pratt, which fell to 3-13 overall and 0-4 in conference play.