JOPLIN, Mo. — Missouri Southern volleyball (7-13) fell to No. 25-ranked Central Oklahoma (17-5) 3-0 (23-25, 21-25, 20-25) to conclude the MIAA In-Season Tournament Friday at Leggett & Platt Athletic Center.
MSSU is 7-13 overall in 2026. UCO is 17-5 overall this season.
Grace Gardner led the Lions with 12 kills on a .313 hitting percentage and added 12 digs.
Brenna Weaver finished with 32 assists, six digs, two block assists and two kills on two attacks.
Reagan Ashby collected a team-high 13 digs and added one assist.
Addysen Alvis added 10 kills, four digs and a service ace.
Southern carried a 23-21 lead late in the first set after a
Kaelyn Kendrick kill, but Central Oklahoma scored the final four points to take the set 25-23.
Earlier, Missouri Southern recovered from a 2-0 start with a
Hanna Lauterbach-Alvis block assist and kills from Gardner,
Ella Breazeale and Alvis helping pull the set even at 5-5.
After falling behind 13-11, MSSU moved in front 16-14 behind kills from Kendrick and Alvis, including back-to-back Alvis finishes during the response. The teams traded points deep into the set, with Lauterbach, Gardner and Kendrick adding late kills before the Bronchos closed out the final stretch.
The Lions climbed out of a 6-1 deficit and twice got the second set back level in the middle stages, but UCO answered late to take the set 25-21. The response began with a service error, a Kendrick kill from Weaver and defensive points at the net, including a Weaver-Breazeale block and a Kendrick block that brought Missouri Southern within 7-6.
After Central Oklahoma rebuilt separation, Lauterbach delivered two kills, Alvis added an ace and Gardner put away a Weaver assist as MSSU pulled even at 16-16.
A Kendrick-Breazeale block tied it again at 17-17, but the Bronchos followed with four straight points and held off late kills from Gardner and Alvis to close the second set.
Southern erased an 11-8 deficit with a 7-0 run, taking a 15-11 lead behind Weaver's service turn before UCO came back to win the third set 25-20. Earlier, Lauterbach opened the set with a kill from Weaver, and Breazeale added consecutive kills to pull the Lions even at 5-5.
The key surge began with an Alvis kill and included Gardner kills, a Weaver ace, two more Alvis kills and a block by Lauterbach and Gardner.
Central Oklahoma answered with four straight points to tie it at 15-15, and although Gardner and Kendrick added late kills for Missouri Southern, the Bronchos moved ahead 20-19, pushed the margin to 23-19 and scored the final two points after Kendrick's kill made it 23-20.
Missouri Southern finished with 42 kills and hit .232, while the Bronchos had 49 kills and hit .273.
Breazeale (three blocks) and Kendrick each added seven kills Friday while Lauterbach had four.
Kasey Goldberg tallied seven digs and
Jordyn Whitfield posted five.
Central Oklahoma picked up two wins over the two-day MIAA In-Season Tournament held at Leggett & Platt Athletic Center while MSSU had one over Arkansas Fort Smith.
Southern next steps back into conference play when the Lions host Emporia State on Oct. 23. First service is 6 p.m., CT at Leggett & Platt Athletic Center.
Fall MSSU Athletic tickets are currently on sale
online. Fans can also purchase an
MIAA Network subscription to support Missouri Southern Athletics and catch all the Lions action this 2026-27 season.
