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(Rolla, Mo.) - The Missouri S&T Miner volleyball squad didn't do themselves any favors digging a 2-0 hole to William Jewell, but they fought out of that hole to comeback and win 3-2 (22-25, 22-25, 25-18, 26-24, 15-8) on Friday evening in Rolla. S&T was its own worst enemy in the first two sets committing 20 attack errors while Jewell committed just eight.

There were 10 ties and three lead changes in the opening set as neither side's advantage was greater than two points through the first 30 points. With the set squared at 15-all the Cardinals (4-5, 0-1 GLVC) scored five of the next six points to take a 20-16 advantage. The Miners (5-5, 1-0 GLVC) repsonded with a run of their own by scoring six of the next eight to tie it at 22-all. After timeout by WJC, it would run off three straight points to take the opening set 25-22. Christina Pratt had five of the Cardinals 11 kills in the frame as they hit just 11.1 percent. S&T had 13 kills led by Hayley Wright (Omaha, Neb./Millard West) with five but hit just 6 percent.

The Miners stormed out to an 8-3 lead to begin the second set, but Jewell answered with a run and eventually got up at 12-12 on an S&T error. The Miners regained the lead though scoring six of the next nine to go in front 18-15, but the Cardinals wouldn't go away as they climbed back to take a 22-20 edge on a service ace by Hannah Herndon. Julie Meyer (Marthasville, Mo./St. Francis Borgia) recorded back-to-back kills to it back up at 22-all, but just like the first set Jewell scored the final three points to take the 2-0 lead into the intermission.

S&T trailed for the early portions of set three before an 11-4 run gave them a 20-16 advantage. It was an advantage it wouldn't relinquish as they went on to win 25-18. Kelly Kosmopolis (O'Fallon, Ill./O'Fallon Township), Torrie Rupe (Wichita, Kan./Collegiate) and Katie McDonald (Orland Park, Ill./Providence Catholic) led the charge with 12 of the 16 kills in the set.

The fourth set was just as tight as the opening one with 11 ties and three lead changes. The Miners held a five point lead at 24-19, but the Cardinals scored five straight to square it at 24-all. S&T got a huge break when Cailynn Hayter's service attempt went long and then Christina Pratt committed an attack error to give the Miners the 26-24 win and force the fifth set.

The fifth set was all S&T as it scored six of the first eight points and never allowed Jewell to get closer than two points. The Miners were holding onto a 9-7 lead when they gained some distance getting a kill from Rupe and two from Krista Haslag (Linn, Mo./Helias ) to make it 12-7. Haslag and Rupe then combined on a stuff block to make it 13-7. The Cardinals made it 13-8 on a kill from Jordan Jackson, but S&T finished it off with kills from McDonald and Haslag to win 15-8 and complete the comeback.

S&T hit just nine percent in the first two sets, but after that they hit 26 percent in the last three to finish at 18.1 percent (69 kills/31 errors/ 210 total attacks). Haslag and Kosmopolis led the way with 15 kills apiece. Jennifer Costello (St. Louis, Mo./Parkway South ) dished out 54 set assists while the defense recorded 116 digs. Six players recorded double figure dig totals led by Jocelyn DeMotte (Topeka, Kan./Hayden) with 34. Costello, Meyer, Morgan Smith (Nixa, Mo./Nixa) and Jennifer Kegler (Ballwin, Mo./Cor Jesu Academy) had 14 digs each while Emily Jaeger (St. Louis, Mo./St. Joseph's Academy) had 11.

Jewell finished hitting 13.2 percent for the match and was led by Herndon and Pratt with 15 and 14 kills respectively. Hayter had 24 set assists while Katie Damgar had 40 digs.

The Miners are back in action on Saturday when it hosts Rockhurst at 3 p.m.