North Sioux City, SD - The Nelson University Lady Lions volleyball team opened the 2026 season by splitting a double header at the CNOS Fieldhouse, falling to Concordia University Nebraska in the morning before rallying for a five-set victory over Park University (Mo.) in the afternoon.
After the Lady Lions dropped their first match in a tough battle with Concordia, they bounced back in an exciting game against Park to give them their first win of the season.
Game One - Concordia 3, Lady Lions 0
In a hard fought match, the Lady Lions drop their first game of the season after battling close with Concordia.
Addison Standley led the Nelson attack with nine kills, while
Sawyer Pontin added seven kills as well.
Makenzi Petten and
Cassidy Hargesheimer each led the Lady Lions in assists, with eight apiece.
Defensively, the Lady Lions were led in digs by
Chloe Munoz with seven, and
Hailey Nixon with five. At the net,
Mackenzie Smith and Pontin each provided two blocks.
Game Two - Lady Lions 3, Park 2
Following the loss, Nelson returned to the court and responded with an intense five-set comeback win against Park
With the offense starting off hot, the Lady Lions cruised to a 25-14 first set win before dropping the second and third sets to put them in a 2-1 hole. The ladies rallied and won a close 25-19 set to push the match to a decisive fifth set where they eventually won 15-10, giving them their first win of the 2026 season.
Once again, the Lady Lions offense was led by
Addison Standley, who finished with twelve kills.
Mackenzie Smith and
Caroline Boone also joined in the party as each of them provided nine kills in the match.
Cassidy Hargesheimer was in total control as she poured in 23 assists, along with
Blair Kram totaling 18 assists also.
Mackenzie Smith was dominant at the net as she recorded a team-high five blocks. Hargesheimer and
Chloe Munoz each finished with 13 digs, and
Taylor Felux also provided a strong performance with 11 digs and 4 service aces.
The Lady Lions finish the first day of the Siouxland Invitational and opening day of the season bringing their record to 1-1.
Up Next: The Lady Lions are back in action for day two of the Siouxland Invitational in South Dakota as they take on Dakota Wesleyan at 8:00 AM and then Morningside University at 12:00 PM.
Nelson University (formerly SAGU) is a private Christian university, established in 1927 by P.C. Nelson. The University is located 30 minutes south of the Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex in Waxahachie, Texas, and offers more than 70 associate, bachelor's, master's, and doctoral degrees on campus or online. For more information, visit www.nelson.edu or by calling 1-888-YES-NELSON.
