EDMOND, Okla. — Missouri Southern State lost to Central Oklahoma 3-0 Thursday, falling 19-25, 11-25, 15-25. Missouri Southern finished with 22 kills and a .028 hitting percentage, while Central Oklahoma totaled 42 kills and hit .292.
Missouri Southern is 6-8 overall and 1-2 in Mid-America Intercollegiate play. Central Oklahoma is 11-5 overall and 1-2 in Mid-America Intercollegiate play.
Addysen Alvis led MSSU with eight kills and added 14 digs and a service ace.
Kasey Goldberg recorded 14 digs and a team-high three service aces, while
Brenna Weaver finished with a team-high 12 assists and seven digs.
Kenzie Jones posted a team-high four total blocks, including one solo block, and added a kill.
Southern spent the opening set working out of an early deficit after Central Oklahoma built a 7-1 lead, despite
Tiana Simmons giving the visitors their first point on a kill from
Abby Morris. The Lions answered from 11-3 with four straight points, getting three
Addysen Alvis kills and an
Ella Breazeale block assist to trim the margin to 11-7. The Bronchos pushed back to 14-7, but Missouri Southern continued to find points through its block and serve, including a Jones-
Grace Gardner block and a
Kasey Goldberg service ace. Gardner added two late kills and teamed with Jones on another block as MSSU stayed within reach, but Central Okla. closed out the set 25-19.
Missouri Southern could not sustain its early start in the second set, as Central Okla. turned an 8-7 edge into a larger cushion and went on to take the set 25-11. Earlier,
Tiana Simmons opened the scoring with a kill,
Kasey Goldberg added a service ace for a 3-1 lead and
Epifania Salamasina's kill brought the Lions even at 4-4.
Ella Breazeale and
Addysen Alvis helped keep Southern close through the middle of the set, with Alvis recording kills at 8-6, 14-9 and 19-10. Central Okla. answered with multiple scoring stretches, including runs to 12-7 and 19-9, and closed the set on a 6-1 push.
MSSU struck first in the third set on a Jones kill from Morris, but Central Okla. answered with the next five points and kept the Lions working from behind.
Tiana Simmons, Gardner and
Addysen Alvis supplied early kills for Missouri Southern, and Jones was involved in two blocks as the Lions tried to slow Central Okla.'s attack. Southern put together its best mid-set response with a block by
Ashlee Chavez Medina and Jones, Morris kill and a
Kasey Goldberg ace to reach 10-16. Central Okla. later moved the margin to 21-11, and although
Ella Breazeale added a late kill, the Bronchos closed the set 25-15.
