Volleyball nationals, Day 1: Chargers power past Walters St. for 1st win ever at nationals

CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa — For the first time in program history, the Sandburg volleyball team has a national tournament victory.

Fueled by a furious finish, the 19th-seeded Chargers toppled No. 13 seed Walters State in four sets Wednesday in the first round of the NJCAA Division II Volleyball Championship at Alliant Energy PowerHouse. Sandburg dropped its second match of the day in four sets to third-seeded Kirkwood.

The win over Walters State was the first at nationals in seven matches for Sandburg, which is making its fourth appearance at the championship. The Chargers (36-11) will square off at 11 a.m. Thursday against No. 20 seed Central in the consolation bracket.

All matches for the tournament are streamed live and available on demand on the NJCAA Network.

ROUND 1
No. 19 Sandburg def. No. 14 Walters State 21-25, 25-15, 25-21, 25-20
The Chargers looked poised to move on to the winner's bracket after kills from Olivia Falborg and Taylor Wagner gave them a 20-14 lead in the fourth set, but the Senators (26-6) rattled off six straight points to tie the set.

Sandburg quickly recovered as sophomore Natalie Burden pushed a kill into the corner for a 21-20 lead and started a 5-0 run to close out the match. Wagner then put down kills on each of the final four points.

Burden and Wagner each totaled 15 kills to lead the Chargers, and Sandburg also got double-digit kills from middles Falborg (12) and Ayla Cannon (10).

The Chargers picked up 93 digs in the match and had five players reach double figures. Freshman right side Abigail Shaffer led the way with 29. Joining her were Burden (19), Wagner (16), libero Madeline Mooney (14) and setter Grace Vyhnanek (10).

Sandburg raced to an early 8-1 lead in the first set that included the opening five points of the match and two Mooney aces. Back-to-back kills from Burden finished off a 6-1 stretch that gave the Chargers a 15-7 advantage. Walters State, though, clawed its way back, and a 9-1 burst gave the Senators their first lead at 22-19 as they went on to take the first set.

The Chargers took another quick lead in the second, scoring the first four points and winning seven of 10 later in the set for a 16-10 advantage. After consecutive points for the Senators made it 16-12, Burden delivered a block and followed with an ace to spark a 5-0 Sandburg run. Falborg forced set point with a solo block, and she put down a kill to even the match at a set apiece.

Down 20-18 in the third, Falborg recorded a block and put down a kill to tie it up and kick off a 7-1 stretch to close the set. Shaffer's kill off the block put Sandburg ahead 23-21. Vyhnanek and Falborg combined for a block on the next point, and then Vyhnanek set up Falborg for a kill to put the Chargers ahead two sets to one.

Vyhnanek had 46 assists in the victory, and Falborg totaled six blocks. Burden had four of the Chargers' aces, and Mooney added three.

ROUND 2
No. 3 Kirkwood def. No. 19 Sandburg 22-25, 25-11, 25-22, 25-12
The Chargers rallied back in the first set after falling into an early 6-1 deficit. Shaffer had a tip for a kill, and Vyhnanek followed with an ace during a 5-0 run that pulled Sandburg even.

Down 11-8, Burden had two kills during a 6-1 stretch that pushed the Chargers ahead 14-12. She added a kill and an ace during a 5-1 burst that gave Sandburg a 19-16 advantage.

Shaffer and Falborg combined for a block, then kills from Falborg and Burden gave the Chargers set point at 24-20. Vyhnanek set Burden up for a kill to close out a 25-22 first-set victory.

The Eagles raced to a 7-2 lead in the second and closed with a 7-0 run to even the match.

Trailing 18-12 in the third, the Chargers won six of the next seven points to — highlighted by kills from Falborg, Burden (twice), Shaffer and Vyhanek to make it 19-18.

Cannon put down a kill for a 23-22 deficit, but a Vyhnanek service error set up a Kirkwood set point, and the Eagles got an ace from Ava Harris-Shepard to lead two sets to one.

The Chargers won the first two points of the fourth set — including a Falborg block — but Kirkwood strung together the next five and never trailed again.

Burden and Wagner each finished with nine kills, and Falborg had five kills and five total blocks in the loss. 

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