Rolla, Mo. – The Missouri S&T Miner volleyball squad couldn't overcame a 2-0 deficit falling to Missouri Baptist in four sets on Tuesday night at the Bullman Multi-Purpose Building. The Spartans are ranked 14^th in the latest NAIA Top 25 rankings.

S&T (6-12) got off to fast start on Tuesday scoring five of the first seven points to open the match but couldn't maintain the lead. The Spartans (21-6) broke open a tight set with a 7-3 run to grab a 19-16 lead on a Kristina Medanovic kill. The Miners closed the margin to two points but couldn't get any closer as Missouri Baptist scored six of the last 10 points to take the opener 25-21.

The Spartans built an early four point lead before S&T came back to tie it at 11 on a kill from Carlie Combs (O'Fallon, Mo./St. Dominic). The two sides swapped the next six points and were tied at 14 when Missouri Baptist went on an 8-2 run to take control of the stanza. The Miners cut the deficit to five on a Carson Talley (St. Louis, Mo./Affton) kill but were unable to chip away at the lead as the Spartans took the set 25-18.

The third frame belonged to S&T as they used 7-1 surge to take a 15-9 lead and wouldn't look back. Missouri Baptist cut the deficit to 18-15 before the Miners put the set away scoring seven of the last eight points to win 25-16 and extend the match to a fourth set.

S&T led for the first half of the fourth set and appeared to be in control to extend the match to a fifth set but a 6-0 run by the Spartans gave them a 17-16 lead. The Miners didn't help their own cause in that set deciding run committing five attack errors.

S&T held three different one-point leads late in the set but weren't able to keep the serve to extend the lead. After a kill by Caterina Cigarini tied it at 23, Combs tried to give the Miners the lead back but her attack attempt landed just wide to give the Spartans match point. Cigarini then ended the match with her 14^th kill.

S&T finished the match with .164 hitting percentage recording 48 kills against 26 errors in 134 chances. Combs and Talley were the lone Miners in double figures with 14 and 12 kills respectively. Alexis White (Auburn, Wash./Riverside) dished out 35 assists while Corinne Stulce (St. Charles, Mo./Duchesne) dug up 19 balls.

Missouri Baptist had three players reach double figures led by Mallory Dillon's 15 kills. Cigarini and Medanovic had 14 kills each. Megan Huffman handed out 52 assists while Natalie Gremaud had 13 digs. As a team the Spartans finished the match hitting .206 (54 kills/27 errors/131 chances).

S&T returns to action this Friday taking part in the ninth annual Midwest Region Crossover. The Miners will take on Alderson Broaddus at 11:30 am, Tiffin at 5:30 pm and Ashland on Saturday at 1 pm.