WARRENSBURG, Mo. -- Facing the University of Central Missouri for the third time in 2021, Missouri Western was able to find a bit more success executing its offense and staying in system, with
Ali Tauchen hitting .368 with eight kills and
Allie Kerns adding seven kills at a .250 pace. Unfortunately, the Griffons were on the wrong side of opportunistic runs in all three sets, dropping the match 3-0 (25-20, 25-19, 25-20) to the Jennies.
Missouri Western opened up a 10-6 lead in the first set and held off a small push by UCM to extend to 13-9. Tauchen and
Jessica Hendrix each had a pair of kills during the first half of the set.
A kill by Kersti Nix sparked a 6-1 run for UCM as the hosts took a 15-13 lead. Tauchen leveled the score at 16-16 with a big kill, but the Jennies reeled off eight straight points before MWSU could earn a side out.
Staring at multiple set points,
Nessa Johnson started a solid run at the service line with an ace off of Arley Anderson, and the Griffons were able to successfully fend off four set point opportunities before falling 25-20.
The Griffons stayed close through 22 points in the second set as the teams traded the lead four times en route to a 11-11 tie. Central Missouri edged out to an 18-13 lead and took the second set 25-19.
After scoring the first point of set three, Missouri Western struggled to get its bearings, falling into an 7-1 hole. Head coach
Marian Carbin called a timeout to settle the young Griffon squad and it worked, but MWSU wasn't able to put together a sustained run down the stretch.
The Griffons collected 37 kills with a hitting percentage of .142, adding two solo blocks from
Danielle Moje and six block assists, as well as three service aces. MWSU held Central Missouri to a hitting percentage of .212 in the match, but the Jennies had 16 block assists on the night and five service aces. Missouri Western finishes the 2021 season with a record of 14-16.Â
