Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 Joplin, Mo. – The Missouri S&T Lady Miners opened its 2009 season with a pair of hard fought five set losses to Southeastern Oklahoma State and Missouri Southern on Friday at the Missouri Southern Invitational in Joplin, Mo.  S&T fell to Southeastern Oklahoma 25-17, 28-26, 20-25, 21-25 and 10-15 in the opener and the Lions 25-16, 18-25, 25-21, 15-25, 11-15.

In the season opener against the Savage Storm (2-0), S&T (0-2)  got off to a great start offensively by recording 15 kills against only two errors in 31 total attacks for a .419 hitting percentage. It was a well balanced effort in the opening set as six different Lady Miners recorded a kill in the frame led by Julie Meyer (Marthasville, Mo./St. Francis Borgia) with four. S&T broke open a tight match with a 9-3 run midway through the set to erase an 11-9 deficit. Samantha Klump (Ash Grove, Mo./Homeschooled) and Meyer finished the first set off with back-to-back kills.

In the second set the Lady Miners got off to a quick start by scoring five of the first six points before SOSU came back to tie the match at 7 all. The rest of the set would be tightly contested as neither side could build more than a one point lead. S&T got to set point on a kill by Meyer, but the Savage Storm were able to fight off three set points before Erin Bekebrede (St. Charles, Mo./St. Charles) put the set away with a service ace for the 28-26 win.

In set three the Lady Miners again got off to a hot start racing out to an early 8-1 lead. After a Southeastern Oklahoma timeout, the Savage Storm proceeded to run off the next seven points tying the set up at 8 apiece. S&T quickly responded back with a 4-1 run to stretch its lead back to four, but SOSU came right back with a run of its own to take the lead at 14-13.

The Lady Miners would regain the lead at 17-15 but that would be the last time they led as the Savage Storm closed out the set with a 10-3 burst. In the fourth set it was a one point game midway through the set until Southeastern went a long run to build its lead to seven points and didn't look back on its way to evening the match at 2-2.

In the final set the Savage Storm got out to the big lead at 5-1, but this time S&T came back to tie the set at 7-7 all. After the changeover the Lady Miners trailed 10-7 before getting back-to-back kills from Lynsey Jorgenson to cut the deficit to one. SOSU extended the lead back to three before giving a point back on error. It would be as close as S&T got though as the Savage Storm scored the final three points of the set for the match win.

Meyer recorded a double-double with 15 kills and 12 digs on the afternoon. Klump finished with 12 kills while Danielle Kracl (Omaha, Neb./Burke) had 27 set assists and Bridget Williams (Topeka, Kan./Hayden) dug 17 balls.

Against the host Lions in their second game S&T again got off to a good start in game one by outhitting MSSU .391-to-.062 and had 12 kills in 23 chances while the Lions committed eight errors against 10 kills in 32 opportunities.

The Lady Miners built a six point advantage and didn't see their lead dip to below three points the rest of the set.

The second set was tied at 17 all before Missouri Southern closed the set by scoring eight of the final nine points to even the match at 1-1.

The third set went back and forth between the two sides and was tied 8-8 before S&T scored five straight points to take control of the game and then proceeded to build the lead to a six late in the set. The Lions made things interesting getting within 20-19 but S&T held off the charge by scoring five of the final seven points in the set to take the 2-1 lead.

After a tight fourth set to start MSSU proceeded to go on a 12-3 run to take control of the set and force the fifth and deciding game.

The two sides split the first eight points of the deciding set before the Lions scored four straight to take an 8-4 lead into the changeover. The Lady Miners battled back to within 8-7 but were unable to get any closer than three points the rest of the way as Missouri Southern held on for a 15-11 set win.

Meyer and Klump again led the S&T offense with 25 (16 and nine respectively) combined kills. Kracl and Jennifer Costello (St. Louis, Mo./Parkway South ) each finished with 20+ set assists while Jennifer Kegler (Ballwin, Mo./Cor Jesu Academy) had 17 digs.

S&T will continue play in the Missouri Southern Invitational on Saturday taking on Midwestern State at 1 p.m., before concluding the tournament against 17th ranked Pittsburg State at 4 p.m.