CHESTERFIELD, Mo.  --  Missouri S&T battled to the very end but came up just short in a five-set thriller against Maryville, falling 3-2 (18-25, 25-25, 25-23, 13-25, 15-9) Saturday afternoon at Moloney Arena. Nate Meyer (Arlington Heights, Ill./Hersey) eclipsed 500 career digs in the contest, doing so with a double double.

The Miners came out sharp, establishing control early behind efficient attacking and disciplined defense. After trading the first few points, Missouri S&T used a decisive 4-1 scoring run to break open an 8-9 deficit into a 13–9 advantage. Aaron Sallade (Palatine, Ill./William Fremd) was instrumental during this stretch, recording two kills and adding another a couple points later. The Saints struggled to regain rhythm offensively, hitting just .194 in the set, while S&T's balanced attack kept pressure on. A late 6-0 push from Sallade, Zachary Carff (O'Fallon, Mo./St. Dominic), and Meyer along with a Tyler Johnwick (Lombard, IL/Glenbard East) ace sealed the opener, giving the Miners early momentum.

Maryville answered in the second set. Missouri S&T again found themselves in front midway through, using a pair of scoring runs to build a 14-11 lead. However, the Saints countered with improved efficiency, hitting over .400 in the frame while Makai Scott went off for 8 kills in the frame. After trailing 19-15, the Miners attempted a comeback late in the set, cutting the deficit to two at 22-20 before a 3-1 run by Maryville ended the set and tied the match at a set apiece.

The third set featured extended rallies and multiple lead changes. Missouri S&T leaned on Aaron Sallade (Palatine, Ill./William Fremd) early, getting a trio of kills from the opposite as the Miners and Saints traded points throughout the frame. A crucial moment came late in the set when the Miners were leading 21-20. The saints recorded a pair of kills and a service ace to go on a 4-1 scoring run, allowing them to take the set at 25-23 and move ahead two sets to one.

The Miners built an early lead in set three, getting two aces from Grant Edmonds (Huntington Beach, CA/Edison) and a pair of kills from Meyer to move ahead 7-1. The Saints tried to work their way back into the set, but runs of 3-0 and 4-0 later in the set gave the Miners breathing room. They closed the frame on a 4-1 run that featured a kill by Johnwick and a solo block by Carff to take the set 25-13 and force a decisive fifth.

S&T and Maryville matched each other point for point early in the fifth, but a 7-1 run by the Saints gave them the edge at 11-5. A triple block by Edmonds, Carff, and Johnwick got the Miners' scoring again, but it would not be enough to overcome the deficit as the Saints closed the set and the match at 15-9 in the fifth.

Meyer led the team in kills and digs with 20 and 15, while Sallade contributed another 19 kills. Edmonds recorded 50 assists and led the team in blocks with 5.

What's Next
The Miners will compete in the inaugural Great Lakes Valley Conference Men's Volleyball Tournament next weekend starting on Saturday, April 25th.


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