PITTSBURG, Kan. – No. 10 Griffon Volleyball (21-4, 9-2 MIAA) took a 2-1 lead Friday night but fell in five sets to Pittsburg State (21-8, 6-5 MIAA) at John Lance Arena.
MoWest dropped the opening set 25-20 before responding with 25-21 and 25-18 victories in the second and third sets. However, the Gorillas captured the fourth set 25-20 and secured the match with a 15-12 victory in the fifth.
Russell and Roush led the Griffon offense with 16 kills apiece. Russell finished with a .250 hitting percentage, while Roush hit .213. Sutcliffe added 12 kills, and Heldt contributed eight kills and 17 digs.
Defensively, Weberg led MoWest with a match-high 28 digs and two service aces. Hendricks added 11 digs and three aces, while Diani-O'Day recorded 26 assists and 12 digs. Duff finished with a team-high 27 assists.
MoWest showed its strongest offensive performance in the third set, hitting .324 with 15 kills and just three attacking errors. The Griffons jumped ahead 8-3 and maintained the lead throughout the frame, eventually taking a 25-18 victory to move ahead 2-1 in the match.
The fourth set featured nine ties and four lead changes. MoWest held an 18-16 advantage before Pittsburg State fought back to tie the score at 19-19. The teams remained even at 20-20, but the Gorillas scored the final five points to force a deciding fifth set.
In the fifth, Pittsburg State built an early 8-4 lead before MoWest battled back. A kill by Peters tied the score at 10-10, and a block from Peters and Heldt gave the Griffons an 11-10 advantage. However, the Gorillas scored five of the final six points to close out the match 15-12.
What's Next
No. 10 Griffon Volleyball wraps up the 2026 regular season on Saturday, Nov. 7, against Emporia State in Emporia, Kan. First serve is scheduled for 7 p.m.
