BOLIVAR, Mo. – Missouri Southern volleyball (5-1) picked up a pair of victories to commence the SBU Invitational Friday at Meyer Sports Center.
The Lions opened the tournament with a four-set win (25-16, 25-17, 21-25, 25-11) of Union University before a sweep of Christian Brothers University, 25-23, 25-13, 25-16.
MSSU now holds a 5-1 overall record in 2025. The Lions are one win away from matching their win total from 2024.
MSSU 3, Union University 1 (25-16, 25-17, 21-25, 25-11)
Alana Moesch led the offensive effort with 13 kills and added three service aces, contributing a total of 16 points.
Hannah Allick facilitated the attack with 19 assists, six digs and recorded one ace.
Tori Hamilton anchored the defense, accumulating 16 digs over four games.
Epifania Salamasina was efficient at the net, hitting .647 with 11 kills and contributing three blocks.
The first set began with Union taking an early 3-0 lead, thanks to consecutive service aces by Ashley Pruitt. The Lions responded with a strong performance from
Hanna Lauterbach and
Fernanda Merancio, each contributing crucial kills that helped level the score at 4-4. A critical turning point came when
Reagan Ashby served an ace to give the Lions a 5-4 lead, igniting a series of successful plays from
Mataiya Barber and
Addysen Alvis that extended their advantage. Despite a late surge from Union closing the gap to 24-16, the Lions maintained composure and capitalized on a service error to secure a 25-16 victory in the first set.
Alvis finished with 12 kills while Barber had 20 assists and seven digs.
The second set began with the Lions capitalizing on Union's errors, quickly building a 3-0 lead, highlighted by Allick's effective serving. Hamilton played a pivotal role, facilitating a stretch of four consecutive points, including kills by Merancio and Moesch, extending the home advantage to 8-2. Despite Union's late rally, Salamasina and Barber combined for crucial plays to maintain the lead, securing a 25-17 victory for the Lions.
The third set began with the Lions establishing an early 4-1 lead, thanks to key contributions from Moesch and Alvis. Despite Moesch's consistent offensive effort, including multiple kills, Union rallied, drawing level at 10-10 before taking control with an 8-4 run. The Lions attempted to counter with strong plays from
Ella Breazeale and Merancio, but Union maintained their momentum, ultimately seizing the set 25-21.
The fourth set began with the Lions taking an early lead, with Moesch securing the first point on a kill assisted by Allick. The Lions maintained momentum as Ashby delivered a service ace at 5-2. MSSU extended its advantage with a significant run, starting at 9-9, featuring a series of service aces from Moesch and a block by Breazeale and Salamasina. As the set progressed, the Lions sealed the set with a commanding 25-11 win, capped by Allick's service ace, closing out the set decisively.
MSSU 3, Christian Brothers University 0 (25-23, 25-13, 25-16)
The Lions recorded 11 service aces to secure the victory over CBU. It marked the second sweep of the Bucs in 2025 after previously earning the victory on Sept. 6 with a season-high 13 aces.
Alana Moesch led the team with 11 kills on 23 attempts, posting a hitting percentage of .348, and added a career-high six service aces.
Hannah Allick contributed 17 assists in three sets while also securing two service aces.
Addysen Alvis recorded a hitting percentage of .421 with 10 kills on 19 attempts.
Tori Hamilton added defensive strength with 12 digs across three games.
Mataiya Barber passed out 18 assists with four digs and an ace.
The opening set, set the tone with a thrilling exchange of points, culminating in a narrow 25-23 victory for the visiting team. Moesch was instrumental, delivering a crucial kill from
Anny Montano to close the set. The set featured significant contributions from Alvis and
Fernanda Merancio, with Allick orchestrating the offense through her assists. Despite a late surge from the Bucs, the Lions maintained composure to secure the set.
The second set began with a back-and-forth exchange of points, but MSSU soon gained momentum. Key contributions from Alvis and Merancio helped the visitors take an early lead, and Hamilton's service ace pushed the score to 14-10. Moesch delivered a commanding performance with a run of four consecutive service aces, propelling the Lions to a decisive 25-13 win in the set.
The third set began with a back-and-forth exchange of points, but the Lions established momentum with a series of strategic plays. Moesch and Alvis contributed crucial kills at key moments, allowing MSSU to pull away from a 7-4 lead to a commanding 12-6 advantage. Moesch's service ace at 23-13 was a highlight, and the set concluded with
Epifania Salamasina's decisive kill, securing a 25-16 result for the Lions.
MSSU wraps up the 2025 SBU Invitational Saturday with a pair of matches. The Lions face tournament host, Southwest Baptist, at 9:30 a.m., CT before concluding the tourney against Harding at 4:15 p.m.
