ARKADELPHIA, Ark. — Missouri Southern falls short in a five-set thriller against Henderson State at the Duke Wells Center, with scores of 19-25, 21-25, 25-22, 25-18, 15-7.
Alana Moesch led the team with 16 kills, contributing significantly to her total of 17 points.
Hannah Allick facilitated the offense with 21 assists, adding two service aces.
Hanna Lauterbach stood out at the net with six total blocks.
Fernanda Merancio also made a strong defensive impact, recording five total blocks.
The Lions opened Set 1 with a steady performance, overcoming an early 2-0 deficit against the Reddies. Moesch and Merancio led the charge with multiple kills, contributing to a 5-3 advantage following a strategic substitution by
Reagan Ashby. Merancio's consistent play was crucial, highlighted by key points that extended the lead to 8-6. As the set progressed, the Lions capitalized on the Reddies' errors, pulling ahead 14-9. The set concluded with Merancio securing the final kill, sealing a 25-19 victory for the Lions.
Set 2 began with the Lions establishing an early lead, highlighted by a block from Lauterbach and a kill by
Addysen Alvis, both facilitated by Allick. The Lions continued to build momentum as Allick played a pivotal role with multiple assists and a service ace, pushing the score to 15-11. Despite a mid-set rally from Henderson that briefly leveled the scores, Missouri Southern regained control with a decisive run, fueled by Moesch's consistent attacking, to close the set at 25-21.
Set 3 began with Missouri Southern securing the first point off a kill by Merancio, assisted by Allick. After an early 4-2 lead, the momentum shifted as the Reddies capitalized on a series of attack errors to advance to a 7-4 advantage. The Lions fought back with a key service ace by Ashby at 12-11, sparking a 4-0 run to reclaim the lead at 13-11. However, the Reddies responded with a late surge, tying the game at 20-20 before ultimately pulling ahead to secure a 25-22 victory.
Set 4 began with the Reddies securing an early lead, going up 4-1, with Savannah Coats and Kelis Battles contributing kills. The Lions responded with a streak of points, including a key block by Merancio and consecutive kills from Moesch and
Epifania Salamasina, narrowing the gap to 7-5. Despite a strong effort from Moesch and Salamasina, the Reddies maintained their momentum, with Katilyn Steffes delivering several late kills that ultimately sealed the set 25-18. Key contributions from
Brenna Weaver, who provided multiple assists throughout, helped keep the Lions competitive.
In the deciding Set 5, Missouri Southern quickly took a 1-0 lead with a kill by Alvis from Allick's set. Despite a brief tie at 4-4 after a service ace by Weaver, the Reddies surged ahead following multiple attack errors by Salamasina. The Lions found momentum with blocks by Moesch and
Ella Breazeale to narrow the gap, but the Reddies capitalized on a service ace from Emma Parsons to clinch the set 15-7.
Missouri Southern State holds a 6-3 overall record in the Mid-America Intercollegiate.
