SPRINGFIELD, Ill. — Griffon Volleyball fell 3-2 (16-25, 23-25, 25-18, 25-21, 18-20) to the Texas A&M International Dustdevils on Saturday at the Recreational & Athletic Center to close out a 3-1 showing at the Illinois Springfield Tournament. 

The Griffons were paced by Danielle Moje, who finished with 15 kills on the day while accumulating a hitting percentage of .313, and by Lily Kurz, who had 12 while hitting .367. Defensively, Missouri Western had five players reach double figures in digs, highlighted by Lia Graham's 18, 18 from Nessa Johnson and 15 more from Holly Heldt. From the front row, Kurz contributed seven blocks, and Emma Salker added six rejections.

SET 1 | The Griffons fell behind early, losing a tough first set 25-16. Missouri Western (3-1) trailed by as many as nine points as Texas A&M International (4-0) never gave up the lead in a set that was tied up zero times before the Dustdevils took control.

SET 2 | Missouri Western then dropped set two 25-23 to fall behind in the match two sets to none. Texas A&M International grabbed the advantage for good at 24-23 in a set that was tied up six times before the Dustdevils took over in the second half of the game.

SET 3 | Missouri Western avoided a sweep with a victory in set three to make it a 2-1 match. A dominant defensive display from the front row helped the Griffons to a 25-18 victory. Missouri Western recorded eight blocks in the set win. The Griffons ended on a strong note, stretching their lead to its largest point in the set to finish out the win.

SET 4 | Missouri Western then kept the comeback train rolling, winning the fourth set 25-21 to bring the match level to two sets apiece. The Griffons took the lead for good at 19-18 in a set that showcased four lead changes before the Griffons took over in the second half of the win. Missouri Western also supplemented its offense with three aces in the set.

SET 5 | The Griffons dropped a tight fifth set, losing in a game that was tied eight times and had five lead changes. Missouri Western saw a solid defensive performance from a front row that blocked four Texas A&M International attacks in the game.

GAME NOTES

• Graham had a match-high two aces in the loss.
• The Griffon front row excelled in a third-set win, shutting down eight Texas A&M International attacks.
• Johnson recorded her second double-double in as many days, collecting 18 aforementioned digs and 47 assists, one shy of her career-high.