BOLIVAR, Missouri – The Ouachita volleyball team dropped its matches against Missouri Southern State and Fort Hays State on Friday to open the 2024 Southwest Baptist Invitational.
Match One: Missouri Southern State 3, Ouachita 2
Set Scores: 19-25, 25-21, 25-21, 13-25, 17-15
Ouachita struck first with three straight points in the opening match, but Missouri Southern State was quick to respond to close the early gap. The Tigers held onto a small lead until midway through the first set. The Lions took a late lead off a 5-0 run and held onto it, taking set one 25-19.
The Tigers started set two hot, taking an 8-2 lead early. This time, Ouachita was able to hold onto its early lead and keep MSSU at bay to take set two 25-21, tying the match at 1-1.
In set three, Missouri Southern got the early advantage, but something clicked for Ouachita, as the Tigers then went on a 7-0 run to take the lead and push it to six points. Ouachita kept MSSU from putting together many points for most of the set, by the Lions brought the score within one after a 6-0 run. However, the Tigers settled in to finish off the set by the score of 25-21 to take a 2-1 lead.
The Lions got the early lead in set four and held onto it for the remainder of the set, winning 25-13, tying the match at 2-2. The fifth and final set was back and forth to start, with MSSU looking like they would run away with it. But a 6-0 Tiger run tied it up late. Ouachita later tied it again 15-15 to force extra points, but the Lions held on and took the set 17-15.
Leah Gardner led the front row with a career-high 18 kills and tallied three blocks. Gardner also led the team with three aces.
Emily Adams was next with 16 kills and two blocks.
Coutrney Hanson led all setters with 51 assists, Hanson's second 50-plus assist game this season. The Arlington, Texas native also recorded 18 digs for her sixth double-double of the season.
Avery Jauz led the back row with a season-high 26 digs. Hanson and
Riley Braziel were next with 18 each, followed by
Peyton Church with 10.
Match Two: Fort Hays State 3, Ouachita 1
Set Scores: 25-19, 22-25, 23-25, 23-25
Ouachita and Fort Hays State traded 4-0 runs to start the Tigers' second match of the day. From there, the two Tiger teams went back and forth. A 3-0 run late for Ouachita, giving the purple Tigers a six-point advantage, proved to be the difference. Ouachita held onto its lead to win set one 25-19.
The second set started close, but a 7-1 run by Fort Hays was too much for Ouachita to come back from, and FHSU held its lead to win set two 25-22.
Set three saw Fort Hays start out hot and push its lead to double-digits late. But Ouachita wasn't ready to quit, as the purple Tigers rattled off a 10-1 run to make it a one-point set. The two teams went back and forth, with FHSU taking the win at the end 25-23 to go up 2-1 in the match.
Ouachita came out swinging in set four to take control early. Ouachita pushed its lead to eight points late in the set, but then Fort Hays started to make its comeback. FHSU was able to put together several runs to tie the set and then take a late lead. Fort Hays held onto that late lead to win set four 25-23 and win the match 3-1.
Riley Braziel led the attack with 14 kills, followed by
Emily Adams with 10. Braziel also tallied 14 digs for her second double-double of the season.
Leah Gardner again led the front row defense with five blocks, followed by
Haley Fairchild and
Emma Hill with two each.
Courtney Hanson led the setters with 30 assists, followed by
Mack Bidwell with 12.
Kylie Kisgen led the back row with a career-high 22 digs, followed by
Avery Jauz with 19, and Braziel with 14.
The Tigers will look to bounce back with day two of the SBU Invitational. Ouachita will take on Truman State at 9:30 a.m. and Southwest Baptist at 4:15 p.m. tomorrow, Saturday, September 21 in Bolivar, Missouri.
