Missouri Southern State University's volleyball team never seemed to get rolling and fell in straight sets (25-18, 25-19, 25-14) to the Pittsburg State University Gorillas on Saturday at Leggett & Platt.
Southern (7-15, 2-8) trailed 3-6 early in set one but battled back to take a 7-6 lead off a run that started with a Kaelyn Kendrick kill and ended with a PSU attack error. That was the last lead the Lions would enjoy in the set.
Up 11-10, the Gorillas put together a five-point run that was sparked by a Mason Palace kill and capped off by a Southern attack error. The closest Southern could get the remainder of the set was at 15-20 off a PSU attack error.
PSU (9-6, 5-4) closed out the set outscoring the Lions 5-3 down the stretch to claim the 25-18 win.
The Gorillas jumped out to a 4-0 lead in the second set but MSSU was able to trim the lead to one at 6-7 off an Ella Breazeale kill. The Lions claimed their first lead of the set at 11-10 off a PSU attack error and led 12-10 after another PSU miscue. Their last lead of the set was at 15-14 off a Breazeale kill on a Brenna Weaver assist.
PSU tied the set off a Palace kill and claimed the lead for good at 16-15 off a Southern attack error. The Gorillas outscored Southern 9-4 the remainder of the set to claim the 25-19 set-two win.
The Lions got off to a 4-2 lead in the final set but PSU answered with a three-point run to take a 5-4 lead. Later tied at 5, the Gorillas scored the next 10 points on a run that started with a Palace kill and was capped off by an Amariah White kill that gave PSU a 15-5 lead.
Southern never got closer than seven points the remainder of the set as PSU closed out the match with a 25-14 win.
Addysen Alvis led Southern with seven kills. Grace Gardener had six and Breazeale finished with five.
Weaver had 13 assists for Southern. Gardner led the team with nine digs. Jordyn Whitfield had seven digs.
Maliyah Johnson led PSU with 11 kills. Maddi Lapointe had 10 and White finished with nine. White also had four total blocks (three solo). Kassidy Nixon had 10 digs.
The Lions host the University of Central Missouri (14-11, 5-4) at 6 p.m. Tuesday.
Senior Day will be at 6 p.m. Saturday against No. 15 Washburn University (20-6, 7-3).