ST. JOSEPH, Mo. - Missouri Western volleyball (23-7) suffered a heartbreaking five-set loss to No. 9 Central Oklahoma (29-2) in the MIAA Tournament semifinal match at Civic Arena on Friday night. 

"I thought we played well for about 98% of the match. We led the majority of each set, especially towards the end, and then we just let it slip through our fingers in the fourth and fifth sets," commented head coach Jessica Fey. "I thought we were the better team tonight; they were just better at the end of the sets, which is when we need to be our best."
 
The all-time classic between the Griffons and Bronchos consisted of 40 ties and 27 lead changes throughout the five sets. UCO claimed the thriller with set scores of 25-21, 20-25, 20-25, 25-21 and 15-13.
 
In the first set, the Griffs set the tone early by building a lead of as much as five points and maintaining a three-point advantage at the 20th point. However, the Bronchos mounted a late comeback, scoring seven consecutive points to win the set 25-21.
 
Western rebounded with a 25-20 victory in the second set. Like in the first set, the Griffs held a 20-17 lead but successfully closed this one out to even the match at 1-1. Emily Loy led the offense with six kills, while Nessa Johnson dished out 12 assists. Lily Kurz and Holly Heldt also contributed with a trio of blocks apiece.
 
The Griffons gained their first lead in the third set, capitalizing on a struggling offensive performance by the Bronchos, who managed a hitting percentage of only 1.04 with just six kills. Loy and Johnson continued their strong performance from the second set, replicating their previous statistics for the second set. Additionally, Heldt made a significant defensive contribution by recording eight digs.
 
The fourth set was tightly contested, with both teams refusing to let up until they reached the 20th point. Central Oklahoma managed to ignite a 4-0 run, which allowed them to extend the match into a fifth set.
 
In the final set, UCO rallied once again with another 4-0 run, ultimately securing the match with a final score of 15-13.
 
Johnson performed exceptionally well at setter, achieving her 18th double-double of the season with 52 assists and 20 digs. In addition, the native of Gilbert, Iowa, recorded a season-high six kills and added a pair of service aces. Loy led the match with 20 kills, while Heldt (15), Taylor Russell (13) and Emma Salker (10) each tallied double-digit kills for the Griffs.
 
Defensively, Anna Weberg stood out with a team-high 35 digs. Heldt and Salker collected with six blocks each, while Kurz added five.
 
Missouri Western's postseason fate will be revealed during the NCAA Division II Women's Volleyball Selection Show, which will be streamed on NCAA.com on Monday, November 25, at 6:30 p.m. CT. MWSU ranked fourth in the final NCAA Division II Women's Volleyball Central Region Rankings.