JOPLIN, Mo. — Missouri Southern State volleyball split its two matches Friday at the Leggett & Platt Athletic Center, falling to Missouri S&T in a five-set battle before closing the night with a 3-1 victory over Northwestern Oklahoma State. With the split, Southern moves to 1-2 overall and 0-0 in Mid-America Intercollegiate play.
Game 1: Missouri S&T 3, Missouri Southern 2
Missouri Southern battled Missouri S&T through five sets before falling 27-25, 23-25, 26-24, 21-25, 12-15 in a closely contested match.
Addysen Alvis led the Lions with 29 kills, while
Ella Breazeale added 16 kills and three blocks.
Reagan Ashby anchored the defense with 22 digs, and
Brenna Weaver facilitated the offense with 62 assists. Southern finished with 74 kills compared to 69 for Missouri S&T.
The Lions opened the match with a strong offensive effort, taking an early lead before Missouri S&T responded to go ahead 12-8. Southern battled back behind kills from Breazeale and Alvis, tying the set at 15-15. The teams traded points late before Alvis delivered back-to-back kills to give the Lions a 27-25 first-set victory.
Missouri S&T answered in the second set, taking a 25-23 win despite a late push from Southern. The Lions responded in the third set, battling back from a narrow deficit to tie the score at 24-24. Alvis then delivered four consecutive kills to close out the set and give Southern a 26-24 victory.
Southern opened the fourth set with a 3-0 run and maintained a narrow advantage before Missouri S&T tied the score at 18-18. The visitors closed the set on a late run to take a 25-21 victory and force a decisive fifth set.
The Lions took an early lead in the final set, but Missouri S&T responded and built an advantage. Southern continued to battle, cutting the deficit to two late, but the visitors held on for a 15-12 victory.
Game 2: Missouri Southern 3, Northwestern Oklahoma State 1
Missouri Southern closed the night with a 25-16, 18-25, 25-22, 25-22 victory over Northwestern Oklahoma State, earning
Joshua Moore his first victory as the official head coach of the Lions.
Grace Gardner led Southern with 14 kills while hitting .333 and added two service aces for 16.5 total points. Alvis finished with 15 kills and 13 digs while hitting .344. Ashby recorded 19 digs, while Weaver added 37 assists and 14 digs.
Southern took control early in the opening set, overcoming an early 2-0 deficit before building a 10-5 advantage. The Lions continued to pressure Northwestern Oklahoma State with kills from Alvis and
Kaelyn Kendrick, along with a service ace from
Kasey Goldberg, before closing the set 25-16.
The Rangers responded in the second set, taking an early lead and holding off Southern's efforts to close the gap. Despite kills from Gardner, Alvis and Kendrick, Northwestern Oklahoma State secured the set 25-18 to even the match.
Southern answered in the third set, using a balanced offensive attack and strong defense to maintain a narrow advantage. The Lions held off a late push from the Rangers, with Alvis providing key points before Gardner sealed the set with a service ace, 25-22.
The Lions carried the momentum into the fourth set, jumping out to a 3-0 lead before Northwestern Oklahoma State rallied to tie the score at 11-11. Southern responded with a 7-2 run to take an 18-13 advantage.
The Rangers again battled back, tying the set at 22-22, but Southern closed out the night by scoring the final three points. Gardner and Alvis provided the final kills as the Lions secured the 25-22 set win and the 3-1 match victory.
Missouri Southern continues the Missouri Southern Invitational Saturday with their final match at 3 p.m. at the Leggett & Platt Athletic Center.
