ROLLA, MO — Missouri S&T came up short in Friday night's matchup in Gibson Arena, falling 25–23, 25–18, 25–21 to Quincy. The Miners stayed competitive throughout the evening, overcoming several deficits to pressure the Hawks.
Missouri S&T opened the night with their sharpest offensive set, hitting .293 while trading points throughout a frame that featured 14 ties. After falling behind 7–4 early, the Miners took the lead with a 4–0 run that included two aces from
Elly Decker (Manhattan, IL/Lincoln Way West) and a kill from
Avery Patton (Lathrop, MO/Truman). Quincy retook control a few points later, pulling ahead by three on two separate occasions before the Miners briefly surged in front behind back-to-back defensive points—highlighted by a block from
Addie Schoenberger (Menomonee Falls, WI/Hamilton Sussex) and
Kate Zipprich (Hardin, IL/Calhoun). Late kills from
Lexi Kosmopolis (O'Fallon, IL/Newsome) and Schoenberger kept the Miners within reach, but Quincy edged ahead in the closing moments to take the narrow 25–23 victory.
Set two began with a similar back-and-forth pace. Decker opened the Miners' scoring with a kill, and S&T found momentum behind a productive stretch from Kosmopolis and
Danielle Wilke (Palmer Lake, CO/Palmer Ridge), who combined for five early kills. Quincy responded with seven kills in an eight-point stretch to build an 18–9 advantage. Zipprich, Patton, and Schoenberger each contributed kills during a 5–0 run that cut the deficit to 18–14, but Quincy maintained enough separation to take the set, 25–18.
Kosmopolis continued her steady night in the third, adding a pair of early kills, while Wilke provided another three to keep S&T within striking distance at 14–12. The Hawks countered with a four-point run—three kills and a double block—to create an 18–12 lead.
Elise Mehaffy (Marion, IA/Marion) provided a needed spark on the next point, scoring on a quick second-touch attack. The Miners later pulled within three at 23–20 after a Kosmopolis kill and a double block from Wilke and Zipprich, but Quincy closed the frame with two kills to secure the match.
Kosmopolis and Schoenberger led the Miners offensively, each finishing with 11 kills while hitting .219 and .500, respectively. Kosmopolis also anchored the back row with 11 digs to record her fifth double-double of the season. Patton, Schoenberger, Wilke, and Zipprich combined for a team total of 12 blocks.
What's Next
Missouri S&T returns to Gibson tomorrow at 3 p.m. for Senior Day, hosting Illinois Springfield in their final home match of the weekend.
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