SEARCY, Ark. — Missouri Southern volleyball went 1-1 Friday to commence its stay at the Harding Invitational held at Rhodes-Reaves Field House.
MSSU beat Southern Arkansas in four sets (22-25, 25-18, 25-23, 25-22) in an early afternoon tilt before falling to tournament host, Harding, in three sets (25-15, 25-13, 25-14) Friday evening.
The Lions are now 4-6 overall in 2026.
MSSU 3, Southern Arkansas 1 (22-25, 25-18, 25-23, 25-22)
Missouri Southern defeated Southern Arkansas, 3-1, on Friday at Rhodes-Reaves Field House.
MSSU used a 6-0 run in the third set to turn a 22-18 deficit into a 24-22 lead before taking the frame, 25-23.
Addysen Alvis finished with 15 kills, 12 digs, three blocks and a team-high 18.5 points.
Tiana Simmons matched the team lead with 15 kills and added eight digs and two blocks for 16 points.
Grace Gardner recorded 11 kills and a team-high 15 digs.
Brenna Weaver tallied 27 assists, nine digs and one service ace.
Reagan Ashby added 14 digs with three aces and six assists.
FIRST SET
The Lions recovered from a 10-3 first-set deficit to get within 16-14 and later 23-22, but could not finish the comeback. Earlier, SAU built its lead as Missouri Southern gave up several points on attack and service errors, while Alvis, Simmons and
Kenzie Jones supplied early kills.
The Lions first closed the gap with kills by Gardner and Alvis and a
Hanna Lauterbach block, then answered a 16-10 score with Alvis and Gardner kills, an SAU attack error and Simmons' kill from Ashby to make it 16-14.
After the Muleriders moved ahead 20-14, Alvis put down a kill, Ashby then served consecutive aces, and Simmons and Jones combined for a block as MSSU cut it to 20-18. Gardner, Simmons and Jones added late kills, with Jones bringing Missouri Southern within 23-22 before SAU scored the final two points to take the first set 25-22.
SECOND SET
Missouri Southern pulled away from a one-point set late, winning seven of the final eight rallies from an 18-17 edge to close a 25-18 second-set win over Southern Arkansas. Earlier, the Lions answered SAU's 6-4 lead with four straight points on Gardner's serve, including two blocks credited to
Abby Morris and Jones, to move ahead 8-6.
The stanza stayed tight through the middle before the Lions got kills from Gardner and Alvis and service aces by Weaver, Alvis and Ashby to build a 17-14 lead. After the Muleriders cut it to 18-17, a Southern Arkansas error and a Jones kill started
Kasey Goldberg's four-point service turn, which also included a Morris-Jones block and an Alvis kill for a 23-17 margin. Jones added another kill, and
Epifania Salamasina served an ace to finish the set.
THIRD SET
The Lions erased a 22-18 deficit with a 6-0 run and held on to win the third set 25-23, with Alvis delivering two solo blocks, a kill and a block with Jones during the surge. Earlier, MSSU fell behind 14-8 before working back behind kills from Alvis, Gardner, Simmons and Weaver, eventually tying the set at 16-16 on a Simmons-Jones block.
Gardner's serve helped Missouri Southern move ahead 18-16, but SAU answered with five straight points to build the late 22-18 edge. Goldberg added a service ace to bring the Lions to set point at 24-22, and after the Muleriders got one point back, Alvis finished the set with a kill from Ashby.
FOURTH SET
Missouri Southern overcame a late 19-16 deficit in the fourth set, getting a Jones kill, an Salamasina
ace and an
Olivia Burmeister kill to move in front 21-20.
Earlier, Simmons helped keep the Lions in the set with four kills before the midpoint, and Goldberg added a service ace as MSSU traded points through a 12-12 tie.
SAU answered with four straight points to go ahead 16-12 and later led 20-18, but Missouri Southern continued to work back through Southern Arkansas errors and its own late attacking.
After the Muleriders tied the set at 22-22, Gardner and Simmons delivered consecutive kills, and a Southern Arkansas attack error finished the Lions' 25-22 set win.
Harding 3, MSSU 0 (25-15, 25-13, 25-14)
MSSU lost to Harding 3-0 on Friday, with set scores of 15-25, 13-25, 14-25.
Addysen Alvis finished with team highs of five kills, nine digs and three total blocks.
Brenna Weaver posted a team-high seven assists to go with six digs, one kill and one service ace.
Kasey Goldberg added five digs and a service ace.
FIRST SET
Harding created the separation the Lions could not close in the opening set, using a mid-set push after
Hanna Lauterbach's kill had brought the Lions within 10-7.
Earlier, Southern answered the first point with a Harding service error and later got a block from Lauterbach and
Abby Morris to make it 9-6.
Harding responded with four straight points to move ahead 14-7, and Missouri Southern continued to find offense through
Grace Gardner,
Addysen Alvis and Morris while trying to cut into the margin.
Tiana Simmons and Lauterbach each put down late kills to fight off set point twice, but Harding finished the set at 25-15.
SECOND SET
The Lions could not overcome Harding's mid-set separation and dropped the second set 25-13.
Gardner answered early with kills that brought MSSU even at 1-1 and 2-2, but Harding moved ahead from there and built a 12-5 advantage with help from multiple kills and service pressure.
Weaver added a service ace as Southern cut the score to 12-7, and Goldberg later served an ace during a three-point response after Harding had reached 18-7.
Alvis and Weaver added late kills, and Alvis teamed with
Presli Harts on a block that produced Missouri Southern's final point before Harding scored the last three to finish the set.
THIRD SET
MSSU opened the third set by winning seven of the first eight rallies after Harding's first point, getting a Harts-Alvis block, two Alvis kills and another Alvis block to move ahead 7-2.
The Lions continued to create separation when
Epifania Salamasina put down a kill from Morris and then teamed with
Olivia Burmeister on a block during a stretch that made it 11-5.
Harding answered with eight straight points to move in front 13-11, and Southern was limited to three more points the rest of the set, including a Salamasina kill from Burmeister and Morris kill. Harding closed the set with the final five points and took it 25-14.
Missouri Southern finished the match with 16 kills and a -.057 hitting percentage, while Harding had 40 kills and hit .253.
NEXT: MSSU next wraps the 2026 Harding Invitational Saturday against Union University. First serve is set for 11:30 a.m.
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