JOPLIN, Mo. — Missouri Southern State lost to Missouri Western 3-1 on Saturday at Leggett & Platt Athletic Center. Missouri Southern opened with a 25-18 set win and hit .483 in the first set, but dropped the next three sets 26-28, 22-25 and 23-25.
The Lions are 6-11 overall and 1-5 in Mid-America Intercollegiate play. The Griffons are 15-1 overall and 5-0 in Mid-America Intercollegiate play.
Grace Gardner led the Lions with 20 kills and 23 points, hitting .444 while adding nine digs and four block assists.
Brenna Weaver finished with 36 assists, 15 digs and two service aces.
Kasey Goldberg collected 19 digs, served three aces and added eight assists.
Addysen Alvis posted 13 kills, 15.5 points, five digs and three block assists.
Southern closed the first set with the decisive stretch, winning six straight points with
Brenna Weaver serving to move from 18-17 to 24-17 before
Addysen Alvis finished the 25-18 set win with a kill from Weaver. Earlier, the Lions answered the Griffons' opening point with kills from Alvis and
Olivia Burmeister, an Alvis service ace and an attack error to build a 4-1 lead. The Griffons later tied the set at 5-5 and moved ahead 6-5, but
Jordyn Whitfield tied it with a kill, and Missouri Southern continued to trade points through the middle of the set behind swings from
Kaelyn Kendrick, Gardner,
Hanna Lauterbach and Alvis. After the set remained tight into the late stages, Burmeister, Gardner and Alvis had kills during the closing surge, while Burmeister combined with Alvis and then Gardner on blocks that helped the Lions reach set point.
The Griffons erased Southern's 20-15 lead with six straight points, including three service aces, before the Lions answered with a
Hanna Lauterbach-Kendrick block to tie the second set at 21-21. Earlier, MSSU built a 12-6 advantage during a stretch on
Reagan Ashby's serve that included her ace and a Lauterbach-
Addysen Alvis block.
Addysen Alvis, Gardner and
Hanna Lauterbach helped Missouri Southern stay in front through the middle of the set, with
Brenna Weaver assisting a series of kills and adding a service ace for a 15-9 lead. Gardner put down late kills to pull the Lions even at 25-25 and 26-26, but the Griffons scored the final two points to take the set, 28-26.
Southern led 22-18 late in the third set, but the Griffons scored the final seven points to take the set 25-22. Earlier, Gardner carried much of the Lions' attack with kills in the opening stretch, while
Brenna Weaver and
Kasey Goldberg each set her up during key points. MSSU moved from a 12-12 tie to a 16-12 lead behind kills from Kendrick and Gardner, a Goldberg service ace and a Griffons attack error.
Addysen Alvis and
Hanna Lauterbach helped the Lions answer later Griffons points, and Gardner added another kill to help push the margin back to 22-18 before Katelyn Diani-O'Day's serving run closed the set for the Griffons.
Missouri Southern built a 20-14 lead in the fourth set, but the Griffons rallied late and took the set 25-23. Earlier, Gardner helped the Lions start quickly with four kills in the opening half of the set, while Burmeister and Gardner combined on an early block and
Reagan Ashby and
Brenna Weaver each added a service ace. Kendrick and
Addysen Alvis kept Southern in front through the middle stages, with Kendrick's kill making it 19-14 and
Hanna Lauterbach following with a kill for a 20-14 advantage. After the Griffons cut the margin to 20-19, MSSU moved back ahead 22-20 on an Alvis kill, but the visitors scored the next four points and finished the set on a block after a Lions service-error point made it 24-23.
