PITTSBURG, Kan. — Missouri Southern volleyball swept Southwestern Oklahoma State 3-0 (25-14, 25-23, 25-12) Wednesday at John Lance Arena/Whetzel Court to open the 2026 Gorilla Classic.
With the win, MSSU improves to 2-3 in 2026 while SWOSU moves to 2-3 overall.
Missouri Southern hit .296 with 38 kills while holding the Bulldogs to a .054 hitting percentage.
Brenna Weaver finished with a double-double of 31 assists, 10 digs, two service aces and three kills in the victory. It marked her third double-double in 2026.
Kenzie Jones posted seven total blocks and added five kills.
Grace Gardner recorded eight kills, six total blocks, five digs, and a team-high 11 points.
Addysen Alvis tallied nine kills without an attack error (.300 hitting percentage) and added seven digs.
The Lions controlled the first set from the opening point and finished with a 25-14 opening frame win.
Gardner's kill from Weaver, a Jones kill, and a
Kaelyn Kendrick-Jones block helped the Lions build a 3-0 start, and Missouri Southern later moved ahead 11-5 behind Weaver's service ace and Gardner's kill from
Reagan Ashby.
Alvis, Gardner, Kendrick and
Olivia Burmeister kept the attack moving through the middle of the set, while Gardner combined on blocks with Burmeister and Jones as MSSU stretched the score to 24-14. Kendrick closed the set with a kill from Ashby to complete the 25-14 finish.
In the second set, Southern took a 25-23 win after seeing a 23-18 edge cut to 23-22, answering with a Gardner kill before Jones and Gardner teamed on the final block-induced attack error.
Earlier, Weaver served Missouri Southern to the first five points of the set, with Gardner putting down the first two kills and SWOSU committing three straight errors.
The Lions continued to keep separation through the middle of the set as Alvis, Burmeister and Kendrick supplied kills, while
Tiana Simmons and Weaver each added a service ace.
Southwestern Oklahoma made its late push with four straight points, but MSSU closed the set with two of the final three points to finish the 25-23 second set win.
Missouri Southern turned a 5-5 third set into a 12-5 advantage with a 7-0 run, starting with a Burmeister kill and continuing through her serve as Jones had back-to-back kills.
Alvis then added a kill and Jones teamed with Alvis on a block.
After Southwestern Oklahoma stopped the run, the Lions kept answering with points, including a Weaver kill from
Kasey Goldberg, an Alvis kill from Weaver and a Kendrick kill from Weaver to reach 17-9.
At 19-10,
Jordyn Whitfield checked in and served four straight MSSU points, including an ace and an Alvis kill from Weaver, moving the MSSU lead to 23-10.
SWOSU scored the next two points before Alvis answered with another kill from Weaver, and an attack error on the final rally gave Missouri Southern the set, 25-12, to secure the victory.
Kendrick added nine kills in the win.
Ashby grabbed 11 digs from the back row at libero.
MSSU next continues the 2026 Gorilla Classic Thursday with a pair of matches. The Lions face Arkansas Tech at 9 a.m., CT before a 4:30 p.m. meeting will William Jewell. Both matches will be streamed on MIAA Network.
Fans can purchase an
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Fall MSSU Athletic tickets are currently on sale
online.
