Box Score (Springfield, Ill.) – The Missouri S&T Miners broke a three match skid with a 3-0 (25-20, 28-26, 25-19) victory against Illinois Springfield on Saturday in Springfield, Ill. The Miners (13-12, 8-4 GLVC) recorded 44 kills in the contest and finished with an attack percentage of .221 (44k/15e/131ta).

S&T got off to a slow start in this one falling behind 6-2 to begin the match, but quickly turned the tables with a 12-5 run to grab a 14-11 lead on a kill by Claire Luther (St. Louis, Mo./Lutheran South). The Prairie Stars (6-17, 2-10 GLVC) answered by scoring five of the next seven points to even it at 16-all. The Miners regained the lead thanks to some help from UIS who committed three errors allowing S&T to take a 20-16 advantage. The Prairie Stars cut the deficit to 21-19 but wouldn't get any closer as the Miners scored four of the last five points to take the opening set 25-20.

S&T led for a majority of the second set only to see UIS rally late and take a 24-23 on a kill by Sara Baker. The Miners staved off a set point evening the set on a ball handling error by JoAnna Hoffman and then Ashley Allegri (Leawood, Kan./Shawnee Mission East) put them ahead with a kill to make it 25-24. This time it was the Prairie Stars turn to respond and they did getting a kill by Shelby Geers and then Gracey Moon (Kirkwood, Mo./Kirkwood) committed an error to give UIS its second set point. S&T answered with three straight points getting kills from Luther and Holly Tarvin (Blue Springs, Mo./Blue Springs) to take the set 28-26 and the commanding 2-0 lead.

In the final set the Miners began to pull midway through using a 9-4 run to extend a two-point lead to 19-12 on a service error by the Prairie Stars. UIS wouldn't get any closer than five points the rest of the way as S&T held off a late rally to win 25-18.

Luther led the way with a match-high 11 kills. Moon added eight more while Krista Haslag (Linn, Mo./Helias ) and Hayley Wright (Omaha, Neb./Millard West) had seven kills apiece. Allie Plunk (Hurst, Texas/Birdville) dished out 33 assists and Cydney Denning (San Antonio, Texas/Brandeis ) and Caitlin Brocker (Crystal Lake, Ill./Marian Central ) finished with 13 digs each.

UIS was led by Baker and Ashley Beaton with nine kills apiece. Hoffman had 27 assists while Kayla Katarzynski had 18 digs. As a team the Prairie Stars had an attack percentage of .153 (36k/17e/124ta).

The Miners are back in action on Sunday when they travel to Lebanon, Ill., to take on McKendree beginning at 1 p.m.