ARKADELPHIA, Ark. — Missouri S&T Women's Volleyball split a pair of four-set matches Friday at the Reddie-Tiger Invitational, falling 3-1 to host Ouachita Baptist before bouncing back to defeat Texas A&M International 3-1.
Ouachita Baptist 3 - Missouri S&T 1
The Miners fell behind 7-4 early in the opening set and struggled to close the gap. S&T trimmed an eight-point deficit with a 3-0 run that featured a double block by Elly Decker (Manhattan, IL/Lincoln-Way West) and Madison Smith (Boonville, MO/Boonville), but the Tigers answered with six straight points to regain control. Kills from Decker and Addie Schoenberger (Menomonee Falls, WI/Sussex Hamilton) helped the Miners put together another 3-0 run late, but Ouachita Baptist closed out the set, 25-15.
S&T and OBU exchanged 3-0 runs early in the second set before the Miners took control with a 4-0 spurt that put them ahead 13-10. The Tigers responded with five straight points to take an 18-17 lead, but the Miners quickly regained the advantage behind two kills from Decker and a pair of service aces from Adelyn Weiler (Ste. Genevieve, MO/Valle Catholic). S&T fended off a late push from the Tigers, securing the set on kills by Schoenberger and Danielle Wilke (Palmer Lake, CO/Palmer Ridge) to even the match at one set apiece.
Ouachita Baptist jumped out to an 11-6 lead in the third set before Smith and Wilke sparked a 4-0 Miners run that pulled S&T even at 13-13. Another 4-0 run followed, with Maggie Mille serving an ace and Kate Zipprich (Hardin, IL/Calhoun) recording a kill to put the Miners ahead 18-15. The Tigers responded with a strong finish, scoring the final four points to take the set 25-19 and regain the match lead.
The Miners battled closely with the Tigers throughout the fourth set, using a pair of 3-0 runs to stay within striking distance. Decker and Selin Ozdemir (Ankara, Turkey/Bilim) combined for three kills late in the frame, helping S&T pull even at 18-18. Ouachita Baptist answered with a late surge, closing out the set 25-20 to take the match 3-1 and hand the Miners their first loss of the season.
Missouri S&T 3 - Texas A&M International 1
Texas A&M International came out strong in the opening set, winning eight of the first 11 points behind six kills and a service ace. The Miners struggled to close the gap as the Dustdevils extended their advantage and eventually took the opening frame.
S&T seized control early in the second set, scoring five of the first seven points behind three kills and a double block. Kills from Wilke and Decker, along with another ace from Weiler, helped the Miners extend their lead to 8-4. A pair of Zipprich aces pushed the advantage to 14-9, but TAMIU responded to cut the deficit to two. The Miners then closed the set on a 10-3 run, with Weiler adding two more aces and S&T recording a pair of solo blocks to even the match at one set apiece.
Weiler and Decker opened the third set with service aces to help S&T take a 10-6 lead, but the Dustdevils answered with four straight points to tie the frame. The Miners later built a 17-12 advantage with a 5-1 run that featured an ace from Kaitlyn Brady (Springdale, AR/Rogers) and two kills from Avery Patton (Lathrop, MO/Truman). TAMIU rallied with a series of 3-0 runs to take a 23-22 lead late, but S&T responded when it mattered most, scoring four of the final five points to claim the set 26-24 and take a 2-1 match lead.
The Miners never trailed in the fourth set, scoring the first four points to establish an early advantage. Two separate 3-0 runs helped S&T maintain control midway through the frame, extending the lead to 17-10. The Miners then put the match away with a 7-0 run, highlighted by three kills from Patton and two service aces from Decker, to close out the 3-1 victory.
Mining the Numbers
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Wilke led the Miners offensively on the day, recording 22 kills while hitting .298.
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Decker posted her second double-double of the season, doing so against Texas A&M International, recording 11 kills and a season-high 12 digs.
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Patton established a career high with 11 kills against the Dustdevils, committing just two attack errors while hitting .360.
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Weiler and Zipprich each recorded career highs in service aces against Texas A&M International, finishing with four and two, respectively.
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Brady ended the day as the Miners' assists leader, recording 43 between the two matches.
What's Next
The Miners return to action Saturday at the Reddie-Tiger Invitational, facing Arkansas-Pine Bluff at 12:30 p.m. before taking on Mississippi Christian at 3:30 p.m.
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