ROLLA, MO -- S&T Volleyball faced a trio of heavy hitters at the UCM Challenge, going 0-3 over the weekend with losses to Ouachita Baptist, #9 Washburn, and Central Missouri.
Ouachita Baptist 3, Missouri S&T 0
The Tigers jumped out to a big lead early in set one, going ahead 12-6. The Miners responded with a 5-1 run that was capped off by back-to-back double blocks by
Addie Schoenberger (Menomonee Falls, WI/Hamilton Sussex) and
Avery Patton (Lathrop, MO/Truman). S&T stuck close, but OBU closed the set out with a 6-point run.
Set two opened with the Tigers taking a 9-5 lead, but the Miners cut that in half thanks to a pair of kills by
Selin Ozdemir (Ankara, Turkey/TED Ankara Koleji) to make it 15-13. The Tigers rode three 3-0 runs to close out the set, going up 2-0 on S&T.
After trading points at the start of the third set, the Miners took a 2-point lead at 13-11 off kills by
Elly Decker (Manhattan, IL/Lincoln Way West) and Schoenberger. The Miners would lose and regain the lead thrice in the ensuing 15 points but ultimately lost the set after the Tigers went on a 6-1 run late.
#9 Washburn 3, Missouri S&T 0
The Ichabods started the match hot, taking 14 of the first 18 points to build a ten-point lead in set one. The Miners found some answers in a 5-1 run that featured three blocks that all included
Danielle Wilke (Palmer Lake, CO/Palmer Ridge). Washburn answered with 10 points in the row though, taking set one.
Aces from
Elise Mehaffy (Marion, IA/Marion) and Decker put the Miners ahead 4-1 in set two, but Washburn went ahead shortly after on a 5-1 run. After trailing by four, the Miners cut the deficit to one at 14-13, but the Ichabods used another big run late in the set to take the 2-0 advantage in the match.
The Miners took another 4-1 lead in the final set, with Decker contributing another ace. They would use a pair of 4-0 runs to extend that lead, going ahead 20-13 on Washburn. The Ichabods took their first lead of the set on a 9-1 run though, making it 22-21. Decker put S&T in position to take the set, picking up a kill to make it 24-23 before the Ichabods took the final three points of the set to win the match.
Central Missouri 3, Missouri S&T 0
The Jennies took command immediately in set one, taking the first five points. They stretched that lead to eleven at 16-5 before the Miners took three in a row to cut into the lead. UCM continued to string together scoring runs, ending the set on a 9-4 run.
Central Missouri took another early lead in set two, pulling ahead 14-7. The Miners responded by taking six of the next eight points to cut the deficit to three, bringing the score to 21-18. A 3-0 run by UCM gave them set point, with the Miners saving two of them before falling 25-20.
Kills from
Lexi Kosmopolis (O'Fallon, IL/Newsome) and Wilke put the Miners up 5-2 early in the third set, but a 4-0 run by UCM gave them a 6-5 lead. The Jennies extended that lead with a 6-1 run later to take a 14-8 advantage. The Miners started chipping away at the lead, cutting it to four at 18-14 before Central Missouri took the set on a 7-1 run.
Wilke led the Miners in kills over the three matches, recording 25 and hitting above .400 against OBU and UCM. Patton led the team in blocks, picking up 10 block assists, including 5 against the Tigers.
What's Next
S&T begins Great Lakes Valley Conference play with road matches against Upper Iowa on Thursday and Truman State on Saturday.
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