PITTSBURG, Kan. -- Allie Kerns and Ali Tauchen led the Griffon offense with 15 and 11 kills respectively, but Missouri Western wasn't able to answer a late surge by Pittsburg State on Saturday, dropping a 3-2 (18-25, 25-18, 22-25, 25-15, 15-13) result.
The teams traded 25-18 wins in the first two sets, with the Griffons taking the first set and the Gorillas answering in the second.
The third set was a back-and-forth affair, but Missouri Western held on for a three-point win, posting a .122 hitting percentage and allowing Pittsburg State just a .071 pace.
The Gorillas hit a hot streak in the fourth, leading wire-to-wire behind a .600 hitting percentage and 16 kills to tie the match at 2-2. After battling to a 7-7 tie, the Griffons gave up three straight points on a pair of Meg Auten kills and an attack error and weren't able to reverse the momentum.
Missouri Western returns to the MWSU Fieldhouse on Friday, Oct. 29, hosting Nebraska-Kearney in a 5 p.m. match.