PITTSBURG, Kan. – The (RV) MoWest volleyball team (4-0) concluded the opening weekend of play at the Gorilla Classic with an undefeated start, picking up two more wins on Saturday over Truman State and Lubbock Christian.
MATCH 1:
MWSU controlled the first set from start to finish, never trailing. The Griffons built a 14–6 advantage before Truman State put together a 6–1 run to close within 15–12. MoWest quickly responded their own to stretch to bring he score to 21–16, and although the Bulldogs tried to chip away late, the Griffons stayed steady to secure the set 25–21.
MWSU and TSU started the opening stages of the second set with neither team creating much distance. The Bulldogs grabbed momentum with a surge to take a 13–8 advantage, but the Griffons quickly responded to tighten the score. MoWest then caught fire, piecing together a decisive 5–0 run to move in front 19–16. From there, the Griffons maintained control, with
Emma Salker delivering multiple late kills to pace the offense. MWSU closed it out 25–21 to build a two-set lead.
The third set turned into a tense back-and-forth battle, with both teams trading points the entire frame. Truman State reached set point at 25–24, but the Griffons responded with three straight points to close it out.
Trista Marx delivered the final blows with back-to-back kills, sealing the sweep for MWSU with a 27–25 win.
The Griffons had several standouts in the match. Marx led the offense with 16 kills and an impressive .762 hitting percentage. Salker followed closely with 12 kills, adding four blocks.
Noelle Sutcliffe was also efficient at the net, recording eight kills on a .467 hitting percentage. Defensively,
Anna Weberg anchored the with 14 digs, while setter
Katelyn Diani-O'Day paced the offense with 24 assists and chipped in four digs. Overall, MWSU combined for 54 kills and 52 digs.
MATCH 2:
The Griffons wrapped up the opening weekend of the Gorilla Classic in the same fashion as day one, going the distance in a five-set thriller this time with Lubbock Christian. MWSU opened strong with a 25–20 win in the first set, but the Chaps answered to even the match 25–21 in the second. The third set was a back-and-forth duel, with MoWest edging out a 26–24 victory before LCU forced a decisive fifth by taking the fourth 25–20.
In the decisive fifth set, Lubbock Christian jumped out to a 3–0 lead over the Griffons. The teams continued to trade points, but the Chaps stayed in front 6–3. MWSU then caught fire with a five-point run to grab an 8–6 advantage. From there,
Trista Marx powered the finish, recording four kills in the final stretch to seal the set 15–11 and secure the five-set victory for the Griffons.
Marx led the MWSU offense with a match-high 16 kills while adding five blocks.
Emma Salker was right behind her with 13 kills, also contributing on the block with eight assists.
Holly Heldt chipped in seven kills, three block assists, and 23 digs. Setter
Hayley Barsky directed the attack with 25 assists. On the defensive side,
Anna Weberg anchored with a team-high 32 digs.
UP NEXT
The Griffons head to Denver, Colorado, for the 2025 Premier Challenge, opening tournament play at the Berce Athletic Center on the campus of Regis University.
MoWest begins competition on Friday, September 12, taking on No. 2 Angelo State (Texas) at 11am before facing No. 13 Concordia-St. Paul (Minn.) at 3pm in a rematch of last year's NCAA Tournament first-round matchup.
