Hastings Tribune

As Bon Jovi once sang, “Whoa, we’re halfway there.”

That’d be the Hastings College volleyball team, which won three matches during its opening weekend in Sioux City at the Siouxland Invitational.

The Broncos won six matches all of last season during a tumultuous year of leadership by John Schmidt before he was fired with a week to play.

New coach Harley Rhoades guided HC to a successful start in 2026, with three victories to cap a four-match weekend.

The Broncos lost a four-set opener to perennial national qualifier Viterbo, but cruised the rest of the way, dropping only a set to Dickinson State. They otherwise swept Mayville State and Haskell.

Makenna Sutter led the offensive attack, tallying 43 kills across the four matches, including 17 in the finale.

Ilse Benne added 35 kills and was also a weapon from the service line, dropping in nine aces. Most of the assists came via Fran Warson, who racked up 144.

Lainey Benson recorded 69 digs and Klarissa Dowdy seven blocks.

Women’s soccer

Madison Rhodes scored twice, once in each half, as the Broncos shut out Dakota State on Saturday.

Ella Christen dished to Rhodes for her first goal in the 29th minute, then Nyxon Milliron was credited with the assist in the 78th minute.

Tatiana Villasenor recorded five saves.

Men’s soccer

Hastings College was shut out 5-0 by Missouri Valley Saturday in the season opener. The Broncos managed just three shots on goal.

Cross Country

The Hastings College women were picked to finish seventh and the men eighth in the Great Plains Athletic Conference polls.

The women return three of their top seven runners from a season ago, in Grace Dow, Paige Faimon and Claire Noerrlinger.

Junior Evan Struss headlines the men’s team, which brought back three of its top nine runners from last season. Deshawn Burks, Jordael Hernandez and Parker Graves were all GPAC finishers a year ago.