ST. JOSEPH, Mo. -- Allie Kerns hit a blistering .536 and matched her career high with 17 kills as Missouri Western (12-7, 4-6 MIAA) downed Emporia State (4-13, 2-8 MIAA) 3-1 (25-17, 25-20, 22-25, 25-22) on Friday night. Karly Tharp added a double-double with 10 kills and 12 digs on the night.
The first set opened with short bursts by each team, as Missouri Western scored the first three points of the match and Emporia State answered with three straight.
After tying the set at 3-3, the Hornets managed to edge out to a 7-6 lead before a kill from Kerns sparked an 11-4 run by the Griffons that put the set comfortably out of reach at 17-11.
Missouri Western closed out set one with a 12-6 run to take a 1-0 lead in the match.
The second set was a dogfight, with 12 ties and seven lead changes over the course of the first 31 rallies, but Kerns again sparked a run for the Griffons as she tied the set at 16-16 and sent Ali Tauchen to the service line. Tauchen served the Griffons through a 3-1 run that tripped up the Hornets attack and let Missouri Western finish out the set with a five-point cushion.
Emporia State took the third set on the strength of a late 6-0 run as the Hornets turned an 18-7 deficit into a 23-18 lead and managed to hold off a desperate comeback attempt by the Griffons.
Missouri Western was able to take back the momentum in the fourth set, answering with a pair of runs to turn a 5-2 deficit into an 11-7 lead. The Griffons never trailed again in the match, finishing out the fourth set with a 25-22 win.
MWSU finished with a .248 hitting percentage on the night, holding Emporia State to a .182 mark. Jenna Boland (27) and Zari Montgomery (19) combined for 46 of the Griffons' 54 assists on 59 total kills, and MWSU posted a solid 79 digs.
The Griffons are back on the court Saturday night, hosting Washburn. First serve is set for 7:30 p.m.