SPRINGFIELD, Mo. - The Missouri Western volleyball team (5-1) split two matches on its first day at the Drury Invitational Friday. The Griffons swept the host team Drury (2-6, before losing in three sets to former MIAA rival Truman State (3-3).
Lauren Murphy became the seventh Griffon Volleyball player to record 3,000 career assists, achieving the milestone with 30 assists against Drury. She ended the day with 3,039 for her career, good for seventh all-time at MWSU.
MATCH 1
Missouri Western 3, (RV) Drury 0 (25-13, 25-23, 26-24)
After hitting .324 and blowing out the Panthers in the first set, the Griffons had to rally from behind to claim the sweep. Drury jumped out to a 6-0 lead in the second and led 13-4 before MWSU started chipping away. It was 19-13 before MWSU scored six straight points to tie the set at 19 and eventually win the set by two. Eight straight Drury points in the third gave the Panthers a 13-8 lead before the Griffs clawed back and scored the final two out of a timeout to take the match .
Ali Tauchen hit .417 in the match with a team-high 12 kills and five blocks. Sam Duncan added eight kills. Allie Kerns had six kills and five blocks. Maryssa Recio had five kills. Murphy had 30 assists and Tiana Butler had 22 digs.
MATCH 2
Truman State 3, Missouri Western 0 (25-21, 25-23, 26-24)
Another tightly contested match, Truman State squeaked past the Griffons for a three set victory. The Griffons hit a season-low .177 in the match, their first sub-.200 hitting percentage of the young season.
Tauchen hit .414 and had 16 kills in the match. She finished the day sixth in the MIAA, averaging 3.5 kills per set. Murphy had 24 more assists and is third in the MIAA. Butler had 20 digs while Jessica Sachen had 12 and Lindsey Hartline added 11. Hailey Barrows posted a career-high six kills and Recio added six as well.
UP NEXT
The Griffons face (RV) Colorado Mesa (4-3) at 9 a.m. in Springfield before closing out their final non-conference action of the season against No. 7 Northern State (5-1) at 3 p.m.
--- MWSU Athletics ---