ST. JOSEPH, Mo. - Missouri Western volleyball (20-5, 10-3 MIAA) ended its 13-match winless streak against Central Missouri (9-13, 5-8 MIAA) dating back to 2017 with a convincing sweep at the MWSU Fieldhouse on Friday night. The Griffons further extended their undefeated home record to 6-0 with set scores of 25-18, 25-20 and 25-23.
 
The opening set was a back-and-forth affair in the opening portion with six ties and four lead changes. Missouri Western established the final lead at the seventh point, extending the lead to as many as nine to go up 1-0. Emily Loy led the offensive with four kills, while Nessa Johnson collected 11 assists.
 
In set two, the Griffons jumped out front early with an 8-1 run led by a four-kill stint from sophomore Taylor Russell. UCM battled back to cut the deficit to two at 16-14, but a pair of attacking errors followed by two Western blocks halted their momentum, as MWSU went on to take the set by five points.
 
Both teams reserved the best set for last, featuring numerous momentum shifts and lead changes. The Jennies maintained their lead until the 10th point before Holly Heldt recorded her eighth kill of the match to give the Griffons their first lead. Russell claimed the match with a kill from Johnson to secure the 3-0 victory.
 
Russell finished the match with 11 points, tallying 10 kills and two blocks. Johnson also shined with her 16th double-double of the season. The senior setter finished with 32 assists and 10 digs. Heldt led the Griffs on defense with 15 digs and four blocks.
 
Missouri Western will finish the weekend tomorrow at 6:00 p.m. against the Missouri Southern Lions. Kyle Schmidt from News-Press Now will provide play-by-play commentary available on the Griffon Sports Network (Varsity Network App, GoGriffons.com/listen).