Simpson wins final match of the year

INDIANOLA, Iowa – The Simpson women's volleyball team was victorious in four sets on Wednesday night against the Luther Norse to close out their 2024 season. 

Senior Aaliyah Johnson had a standout night, recording eight kills, a new season-high. Emily Williams' 19 kills tied her career-best and led the team. Morgan DenBeste put up 44 assists, just two shy of her career best. Ella Meyer contributed 18 digs to lead the team, followed closely by Kylie McVey's 13 digs.

HOW IT HAPPENED

• The first point for the Storm was earned on a kill by senior Lauren Roman, followed by an ace from Roman and a kill from senior Blayne Koster. The set remained at a near tie up until 20-20 when Simpson earned two back-to-back points, followed by a 3-0 run to close out the set with kills by Emily Williams and Aaliyah Johnson. The set was decided on an ace from Emily Williams. The Storm won set one 25-21.
• The Storm earned the first two points of set two with kills from Jada Schmidt and Lauren Roman. An early 4-0 run by Simpson put the home team up 6-2, marked by kills from Emily Williams and Aaliyah Johnson. The Storm held and increased the lead throughout the second set. Ella Meyer remarkably strung together three aces in a row in the middle of the set to put the Storm up 14-5. Late in the set Emily Williams added another ace and Aaliyah Johnson scored one of the last points for the Storm. The set finished 25-14 in favor of the Storm.
• The Storm started down 5-0 to begin the third set, but they fought back on a 4-0 run to bring the score to 7-5 in favor of the Norse. Despite the fight late into the third set, the Storm fell to the Norse in set three in a close 25-23 score.
• Simpson attacked early in the fourth set with a 5-0 run marked by an ace from Jada Schmidt. Luther fought back but another 3-0 run from the Storm put Simpson up 11-7 midway through the match. The highlight of the third set was an enormous 7-0 run from the Storm with kills by Emmy Seiler and Emily Williams. The Storm put in seniors Caitlyn Holmes-McFadden and Alaina Stemsrud to seal the final set. The Storm won set four 25-14.

STANDOUTS

• Emily Williams: 19 kills, 7 digs, 2 aces
• Jada Schmidt: 11 kills, 2 blocks
• Aaliyah Johnson: 8 kills (0.583), 4 blocks
• Lauren Roman: 8 kills, 2 blocks, 1 ace
• Morgan DenBeste: 44 assists, 5 kills, 8 digs
• Ella Meyer: 18 digs, 3 aces, 4 assists

SENIOR RECOGNITION

• Lauren Roman: Played in 54 matches for the Storm, totaling 214 kills and 149 blocks. Lauren plans to attend Des Moines University to receive a Doctorate of Physical Therapy.
• Kylie McVey: Played in 55 matches from the Storm as a two-year member. Kylie amassed 339 digs and 23 aces for the team. She plans to pursue a career in the sports industry and coach volleyball.
• Courtney Paxton: Courtney is a four-year member of the Simpson volleyball team. She earned all-tournament honors once and she plans to continue coaching at a high school volleyball level after college.
• Caitlyn Holmes-McFadden: Caitlyn is a three-year member of the team and she studied criminal justice and human services. Caitlyn plans to pursue a career in corrections after her time at Simpson.
• Alaina Stemsrud: Alaina spent four years with the Simpson volleyball team. In 2021, she was awarded the team's "best teammate" award. Alaina plans to teach at an elementary school or preschool in the Des Moines area following graduation.
• Blayne Koster: Blayne is a four-year member of the Simpson volleyball team. She appeared in 54 matches totaling 182 kills during her time. She was a two-time A-R-C All-Academic Team honoree. Following graduation, she plans to teach physical education and coach at the high school level.
• Aaliyah Johnson: Aaliyah spent all four years with the Storm, appearing in 32 matches. Aaliyah earned A-R-C All-Academic honors twice while at Simpson. She plans to return home after graduation to pursue a degree in perfusion through the Baylor Scott and White program in Dallas.