SATURDAY'S SCORES
Texas A&M-Corpus Christi 3,
Murray State 1 (27-29, 25-23, 25-21, 25-17)
Eastern Illinois 3, Robert Morris 2 (16-25, 26-22, 11-25, 28-26, 15-13)
@Butler 3,
Belmont 0 (25-21, 25-20, 25-22)
Pacific 3,
Belmont 1 (25-15, 25-20, 24-26, 25-10)
Southern Illinois 3,
@Tennessee Tech 2 (25-15, 19-25, 21-25, 25-23, 15-13)
@Tennessee Tech 3, Middle Tennessee 1 (24-26, 25-21, 25-22, 25-20)
@Western Virginia 3,
Eastern Kentucky 0 (25-17, 27-25, 25-18)
Duquesne 3,
Eastern Kentucky 1 (25-18, 24-26, 25-22, 25-22)
Austin Peay 3, Missouri State 2 (25-23, 25-19, 22-25, 24-26, 15-13)
Wright State 3,
Austin Peay 0 (25-16, 29-27, 25-19)
Presbyterian 3,
@SIUE 1 (25-19, 25-19, 25-17, 25-23)
Purdue Fort Wayne 2,
@SIUE 2 (25-18, 25-23, 23-25, 18-25, 15-9)
Jacksonville State 3, @College of Charleston 0 (25-17, 25-23, 25-22)
@Morehead State 3, Southeastern Louisiana 0 (25-13, 25-16, 25-19)
@UT Martin 3, Little Rock 1 (25-12, 25-21, 21-25, 25-16)
Southeast Missouri 3, @Memphis 1 (25-23, 25-27, 25-18, 25-13)
TEXAS A&M-CORPUS CHRISTI 3, MURRAY STATE 1
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. - The Murray State volleyball team wrapped up non-conference action, Saturday morning against Texas A&M – Corpus Christ at the Stacey Clark Classic. The Racers won the first set but dropped the next three as the Islanders claimed the four-set victory.
Rachel Giustino led MSU with 21 kills while hitting .348. Kolby McClelland followed with 12 kills while Emily Matson had nine kills while committing no errors. Ashley McBee dished out 43 assists while Becca Fernandez notched 11 digs, reaching double-digits for the 38th straight match.
The first set was tightly contested until the Racers went on a 4-1 run to take a 16-12 lead. However, the Islanders fought back and tied the set at 23 before getting to set point one rally later. Katirah Johnson kept the set alive with a kill to tie it back up at 24. The Racers saved another set point before winning three straight points, culminating with a kill by Giustino to win the set 29-27.
The second set played similar to the first as it was close until the end, however, with the set tied at 23, the Islanders won two straight points to take the set.
Corpus Christi carried their momentum into the third set as they jumped out to a 4-0 lead. The Racers would get as close as two points but were unable to climb all the way back in as they fell 25-21.
In the fourth set, the Islanders started off strong again, taking a 12-7 lead early on. They continued to extend their lead, eventually winning 25-17.
The Racers will be back in action next weekend when they open OVC play at Eastern Illinois on Friday evening before traveling to SIUE for a Saturday afternoon match.
EASTERN ILLINOIS 3, ROBERT MORRIS 2
YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio - Eastern Illinois volleyball wrapped up its last in-season tournament of the year on Saturday afternoon winning its first match of the year in five sets against Robert Morris.
The Panthers are 1-11 after the final tournament of the season before conference play. EIU is back in action at home this Friday (Sept. 27) against Murray State at 6 p.m. at Lantz Arena.
The Panthers won 3-2 (16-25, 25-22, 11-25, 28-26, 15-13).
In the first set, the panthers got out to a fast start but the Colonials came back with multiple runs that put them past the Panthers by nine points to take set one.
In the second set RMU was in control of the second set until the last five points. The Panthers were able to find their rhythm they have been looking for and scored the last five points to push them past RMU in the second set.
In the third set it was all Robert Morris from the very start as they take the set by 14 points.
In the fourth set, they were going back and forth until 5-5 when RMU goes on a 5-0 run. The Panther counter with their own 6-0 run to take control of the set. This set was decided in extra points where Maggie Runge got the winning point to send the match to a fifth set.
In the fifth and final set, the Panthers come firing out of the gate with an 8-0 run to go up 9-2. The Colonials were able to bring it back within two points but the Panthers hang on for their first win of the season led by Laurel Bailey with six kills in the fifth set.
The Panthers were led by Laurel Bailey who had a double-double with 19 kills and 16 digs. Katie Sommer led the team in blocks with four.
The Colonials were led by Lauren Kolenik with 16 kills and 12 digs. Emma Granger was all over the net trying to stop the Panthers with 10 blocks.
BUTLER 3, BELMONT 0; PACIFIC 3, BELMONT 1
INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. - Big rallies in both matches fell shy of helping Belmont Volleyball pick up wins on the final day of the Bulldog Brawl. The Bruins (1-14) were held off 3-0 by host-Butler (3-8) before being edged in the nightcap by first-time opponent Pacific (8-4), 3-1.
The visitors took a second to settle in against its first-time opponent Butler but quickly got rolling. Belmont trimmed the point differential down to three, 8-5, before the Bulldogs surged and doubled their lead. BU battled back once again and again closed the gap to three, 16-13, behind kills by sophomore Taylor Floyd (Louisville, Ky.), junior Halee Van Poppel (Argyle, Texas) and freshman Kailee Bass (Aurora, Ill.). Belmont continued to push and soon inched to within one point behind a 3-0 run with points coming from sophomore Mary Catherine Ball (Hendersonville, N.C.) and Bass. A stunned Bulldog bench called for a huddle session. The home team emerged from the brief break looking put to space between the teams but Belmont refused to let up. Belmont burned one of its timeouts to strategize over the waning points. The Bulldogs rolled off three straight points to get to set point but the Bruins answered back with three of their own to close the gap to 24-21.
In the second frame, kills by Van Poppel helped keep the opening point differential incredibly slim. A service ace by junior Akia Warrior (Fort Worth, Texas) and a hard hit kill by Floyd was enough to Belmont its first lead of the contest, 8-7. Butler fired back with a 10-3 run to pull ahead and the Red & Blue called for a pair huddle session in the midst of the flurry to get back into the set. Down but not out, the Bruins dug deep to close the gap to just one point, 20-19, after kills coming from Ball and Warrior. The Bulldogs were forced to burn a timeout to regroup against the surging Bruins.
Set three saw the Bruins maintain the same energy and leaned on Van Poppel's early kills to keep Belmont within striking distance. Belmont used a 5-0 run, capped with a solo block by junior MacKenzie Harless (Brownsburg, Ind.) to take a 10-7 lead. The Bruins refused to let up and held onto its three-point lead and saw a kill by Floyd that put BU ahead, 14-11, be enough to make Butler burn a timeout. Bass collected a solo block to push Butler to call for a break in the action. The Bulldogs continued to their push and soon knotted the score at 21. This time, it would be Belmont that would call for a timeout after the home team finally regained the lead, 22-21. The Bulldogs did not look back and despite a kill by Floyd, were able to gobble up the last three points and take the stanza, 25-22.
For the match, Van Poppel recorded 13 kills, followed by Floyd's 11. Warrior posted 31 assists. Sophomore Faith Cobaugh (Union, Ky.) and Warrior tallied 12 and 11 digs, respectively. Harless and Bass each recorded a solo block. Harless and Warrior each posted two block assists.
Pacific opened the first meeting between the programs swinging hot. By the time Belmont called for its first huddle session, the Tigers had leapt ahead 10-5. After the break, Pacific maintained its press.
Set two saw the Bruins roll off three consecutive points to get started. A service ace by Van Poppel followed by a block by Floyd and Bass saw the Tigers call for a timeout after falling behind, 7-3. Pacific came out of the brief break and went on a 7-0 tear to regain the lead. BU hustled to knot the score at 11 before the Tigers added to their point tally. The teams remained separated by two points through the midpoint of the set until UOP used a 3-0 surge to take a 20-16 lead. Belmont called for a huddle session to regroup and came out hot using kills by Ball and Harless to remain within striking distance. However, the effort fell just shy as Pacific used another scoring rally to secure the 25-20 win.
The third stanza saw the teams trade points and fall into 13 scoring stalemates with neither team able to pull away more than two points before the score was tied once again. Pacific rolled off three points in a row to take a 19-16 lead and the Bruins quickly called for a timeout. BU came out of the break hot and used a kill by Floyd and a block assist by Harless and Ball to close the point differential to two points, 20-18. Belmont surged and forced a scoring stalemate at 21with a deep kill by Harless. The Bruins continued to press, knotting the score at 23 before using a block assist by Warrior and senior Huntir Bass (Mobile, Ala.) and a kill by Van Poppel to win the frame, 26-24.
The Tigers jumped out to a quick 6-2 lead forcing the Bruins to call for a huddle session at the start of the fourth set. After the break, the Tigers continued to build on their lead. UOP went on to expand its lead to double digits, taking an 18-8 lead late, thanks to a 6-0 run. All told, BU was only able to add two more points down the stretch as Pacific strung together another run as it went on to take the frame, 25-10.
For the contest, Van Poppel finished with a match-high 15 kills while Warrior notched a match-high 33 assists. Three Bruins posted double digits in digs, led by freshman Lauren Walsh (Torrance, Calif.), who tallied 16. Floyd and Van Poppel recorded 12 and 11 digs, respectively. Harless, Kailee Bass and Floyd each tallied three block assists.
Belmont returns to action Friday, September 27 opening Ohio Valley Conference play on the road with a stop at Morehead State. First serve is set for 5 p.m. CT
JACKSONVILLE STATE 3, COLLEGE OF CHARLESTON 0
CHARLESTON, S.C. - Behind 14 kills from junior Kaylie Milton, the Jacksonville State volleyball team earned its second-straight sweep to close out the Hampton Inn/College of Charleston Invitational.
In only its second true road match of the season, the Gamecocks (6-6) jumped on tournament host Charleston early with a 25-17 set one win en route to a 3-0 match victory. It marked the first win over CofC for Jax State, whose last meeting came in 2011.
JSU hit just .150 in the win with eight kills from Sadie Anderson and seven by Lena Kindermann. Junior setter Lexie Libs recorded 26 assists and 11 digs.
Freshman libero Erin Carmichael led the way with 13 digs as the Gamecock back line evenly distributed 50 total digs. Milton finished one shy of a double-double with nine digs, followed by senior Maddie Cloutier with seven as the Brighton, Colo., native tallied her season-high mark. Dani Steele added four more to go along with an ace from the service stripe.
After CofC used its second timeout in the opening frame, JSU continued to build its early lead by as many as nine at 23-14. With a 1-0 match lead, the second set remained tight until a late 4-0 run by Jax State opened a two-point lead into a 20-14 advantage. The Cougars would make it close before Anderson's final putaway solidified a 25-20 outcome.
JSU completed the sweep with another tight win in the third after being all even at 17-17. A late kill by freshman Taylor Pribyl, who finished with three, improved the margin to two which the Gamecocks held held until the end.
For their efforts over the weekend in helping JSU to a 2-1 mark with straight-set wins over New Orleans and Charleston, Milton and Libs were named to the All-Tournament team following the final match.
JSU heads home to begin a four-match homestand, which coincides with the first four Ohio Valley Conference matches of the season. The Gamecocks host Tennessee Tech on Wednesday, Sept. 25 at Pete Matthews Coliseum to begin OVC action.
MOREHEAD STATE 3, SOUTHEASTERN LOUISIANA 0
MOREHEAD, Ky. - For the second time this season, Morehead State volleyball completes a perfect weekend at home, sweeping Southeastern Louisiana to the 2019 Comfort Inn-Vitational. The Eagles (9-3) downed the Lions (5-9) by scores of 25-13, 25-16, and 25-19 to take the match in straight sets.
The victory secures the Eagles their best start at home since also going 6-0 to begin the year at home in 2008. Morehead State's sweeps of both the Eagle Challenge and Comfort Inn-Vitational in 2019 also gives the program its first sweeps of both tournaments in the same year since the Eagle Challenge was added prior to the 2011 season.
Junior outside hitters Olivia Lohmeier and Lauren Rokey led the way for Morehead State as the pair was in lockstep all afternoon. The duo combined for 34 of the Eagles' 51 kills with Lohmeier collecting 18 and Rokey adding 16. Rokey paced the pair by hitting .536 for the match while Lohmeier hit .485.
Also, recording kills for Morehead State were sophomore middle blocker Hannah Keating (seven), redshirt junior right-side hitter Liz Allen (six), sophomore middle blocker Mia Swearingen (two), freshman right-side hitter Peyton Kennedy (one), and freshman setter Bridget Bessler (one). As a team, the Eagles hit a season-best .360.
Making her fifth start of the season, Bessler recorded the third double-double of her career, passing out 42 assists and scooping 11 digs. She tallied 42 of the team's 48 assists, helping the team to its .360 hitting percentage while also contributing 11 of the team's 55 total digs. Bessler also led the Eagles in service aces, landing three of the team's eight combined winners.
Along the backline, sophomores Allison Whitten and Olivia Montelisciani joined Bessler with double-figure dig totals. Whitten led the group with 13 digs while Montelisciani chipped in 10. Redshirt senior Danielle McCarson nearly reached double-digits adding eight digs. Montelisciani and Whitten each contributed two aces while freshman defensive specialist Andrea Grimes add the other.
At the net, Morehead State tallied four total blocks. Swearingen led the Eagles with three total blocks (two assists and one solo), recording at least one solo block in a match for the eighth time this season. Also, recording blocks were Allen (two), Keating (one), and Rokey (one).
After facing four weeks of non-conference competition, Morehead State officially opens Ohio Valley Conference play next Friday. The Eagles host Belmont and Tennessee State next weekend, facing the Bruins at 6 p.m.
UT MARTIN 3, LITTLE ROCK 1
MARTIN, Tenn. - The University of Tennessee at Martin volleyball team used one of its best offensive performances of the season to soar past Little Rock by a 3-1 margin (25-12, 25-21, 21-25, 25-16) on the final day of the Skyhawk Invitational.
The Skyhawks collected a .278 hitting percentage as a team today as four different UT Martin players cracked double-digits in the kill column. Logan Wallick slammed down a career-best 20 kills on a sizzling .333 attack percentage while the trio of Karen Scanlon, Jessica Reynolds and Justine Walker each contributed 10 kills apiece.
Scanlon hit an even .500 and added 10 digs for her first career double-double while Walker posted a .412 hitting percentage and a team-best four blocks. Kenzie Hinshaw (45 assists) and Jamie Rys (match-high 19 digs) additionally led the Skyhawks, who improve to 4-10 on the season.
Following the match, Scanlon was named to the Skyhawk Invitational all-tournament team. The sophomore out of Scottsdale, Ariz. registered 27 kills (2.45 per set), a .344 attack percentage, 29 digs (2.64 per set) and eight blocks (0.73 per set) over three matches this weekend for her first career all-tournament accolade.
UT Martin stormed out of the gates in the opening set, jumping out to a 13-5 lead that also included a pair of kills by both Scanlon and Reynolds. Six unanswered points by Little Rock trimmed the Skyhawk advantage to 14-12 but UT Martin erased all doubt with a commanding 11-0 run to end the set. Wallick came away with two kills during the run while Scanlon delivered the final kill to give the Skyhawks a 1-0 lead in the match.
Wallick had three kills in UT Martin’s first seven points in the second set as the Skyhawks took a 7-5 lead. After the Trojans were responsible for seven of the next eight points, UT Martin again used a lengthy surge to eliminate any potential comeback. The Skyhawks turned a 13-9 deficit into a 21-17 lead as Scanlon (three), Reynolds (two) and Wallick (two) each had multiple kills during the 12-4 run. Little Rock was not able to get any closer than three points the rest of the way as a big Wallick kill ended the set.
The third set included nine tie scores but only one lead change as the Trojans were able to momentarily stay alive. Wallick’s right hand stayed hot with three kills in UT Martin’s first eight points as the two sides were all knotted up at 13-all. A 5-2 Little Rock run created some separation but the Skyhawks were only within one at 21-20 after back-to-back Trojan errors. However, Little Rock scored four of the final points of the stanza.
It was the Trojans who commanded early momentum in the fourth set, as Little Rock tallied five of the first seven points. UT Martin answered with a 4-0 run to take its first lead of the set but eventually Little Rock would reclaim the advantage at 11-10. From that point forward, the Skyhawks outscored Little Rock by a 15-5 margin. The duo of Wallick (five kills) and Lucy Kaufman (two of her match-high three service aces) helped carry UT Martin to the finish line before Walker slammed the door on the win with a kill.
The Skyhawks start Ohio Valley Conference play next week, as UT Martin kicks off a four-match road swing at Southeast Missouri on Tuesday, Sept. 24 before traveling to Jacksonville State on Saturday, Sept. 28.
WEST VIRGINIA 3, EASTERN KENTUCKY 0; DUQUESNE 3, EASTERN KENTUCKY 1
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. - The Eastern Kentucky University volleyball team lost a pair of contests on the final day of the Mountaineer Classic.
The Colonels lost 17-25, 25-27 and 18-25 to host West Virginia before falling to Duquesne in four sets 18-25, 27-25, 22-25 and 22-225.
Eastern cut into the Mountaineer lead 6-4, after the Clairissa Hankinson kill. However, EKU could only get as close as two points one more time the rest of the set. WVU scored the last four points of the set to take the opening stanza 25-17.
In set two, Eastern gave the host all they could handle. The two teams traded points for most of the set, but the Colonels took the lead 16-15 midway through the set after the kill by Adria Hartley. With the Colonels down 23-22 late in the set, Mikayla Logan and Jovana Bulatovic had back-to-back kills to give Eastern the 24-23 lead. The Colonels had two set points but could not put the Mountaineers away and WVU scored the last three points of the set to take the second set 27-25.
In set three West Virginia jumped out to an early 9-4 lead and never looked back. Eastern cut it to four 16-12, after the Hartley kill, but the Mountaineers would take the final set 25-18 to complete the sweep.
Freshman Raegan Alexander posted a match-high 32 assists in her first career-start. Fellow freshman Abby Noll posted 14 kills and nine digs. Kaylin Johnson chipped in 10 kills of her own.
Kristin Lux who posted a team-best nine kills for West Virginia.
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Match two was close the entire way.
Eastern took a 10-8 lead in the opening stanza after a kill by Hankinson, but the Dukes scored 11 of the next 12 points to take a commanding 19-11 lead in the set. EKU did not go down without a fight, but ultimately fell 25-18 in the opening stanza.
Set two was back-and-forth the entire way. The biggest lead came after an EKU error gave Duquesne the 13-10 lead halfway through the set. However, Eastern stormed back scoring nine of the next 13 points to take a 19-17 lead over the Dukes after an attack error. After a kill by Noll gave Eastern the 23-20 lead, Duquesne answered right back with a 4-0 run to take a 24-23 lead after the kill by Summer Slade. Eastern ended the set on a 3-0 run of its own to take the second set 26-24.
Set three was a set of runs. Duquesne took its biggest lead 13-9, after the kill by Maria Mosbacher to cap of the Dukes 3-0 run. Once again, Eastern came storming back. Johnson tied the match up at 18-18 with an emphatic kill. The two teams traded points for the rest of the set, before Duquesne scored the final two to take the third set, 25-22, and take a 2-1 lead.
Eastern used a big start in the fourth set to take a 4-0 lead after a pair of aces by Alexander. Duquesne responded with a 5-0 run of its own capped off by a kill from Slade to take a 5-4 lead early in the set. After falling behind 11-10, EKU used a 4-0 run after a Dukes error to retake the 14-11 lead. Again, Duquesne responded with a run of its own to tie the match at 15-15. A Hartley kill gave Eastern the 20-18 lead, but Duquesne scored seven of the last nine points to take the set and the match.
Alexander posted a career-high 35 assists on the match. Noll posted a match-high 17 kills and nine digs, Johnson posted eight kills of her own.
Eastern returns to the court next Friday at home when the Colonels open up conference play against Tennessee State. First serve is at 6 p.m.
SOUTHEAST MISSOURI 3, MEMPHIS 1
MEMPHIS, Tenn. - Southeast Missouri women's volleyball (8-6) handed Memphis (11-1) of the American Athletic Conference its first loss in 2019 to capture the Beale Street Challenge Saturday at the Elma Roane Fieldhouse. Southeast bested the tournament host Tigers in four sets, 25-21, 25-27, 25-18, 25-13, for SEMO's first victory over Memphis in Memphis since Aug. 29, 2009.
With the win, the Redhawks concluded non-conference play with a pair of tournament championships, a four-match win streak and an 8-6 mark. SEMO last won two tournaments in 2012 when the team registered a 21-13 record.
Claire Ochs was named the tournament MVP for the second time this season. Ochs has now been selected to four all-tournament teams in her career at Southeast.
The sophomore from Chesterfield, Missouri, finished the Challenge with 118 assists after passing out 44 Saturday with 12 digs and five kills. In four matches this week, Ochs has tallied 40 plus assists in three and averaged 41 per match.
Mikayla Kuhlmann and Maggie Adams were both named to their first career all-tournament teams.
Kuhlmann led the Redhawks this weekend in Memphis with 34 total kills including 13 (.280) Saturday. She concluded the week with 51 total kills and compiled 17 in her hometown of St. Louis, Missouri, on Tuesday.
Adams posted a career high nine kills on a .429 hitting clip Saturday while finishing the tournament with 21 kills and six total blocks.
Southeast benefited from a really balanced attack Saturday as Laney Malloy also smashed 13 kills with 15 digs, Annie Wehrheim added 11 kills on a .333 and Talia Gouard had a career best eight kills (.538).
The Redhawks connected at a .321 rate including .429 in the third set and .433 in the fourth and final frame.
Trailing the opening set, 13-11, SEMO pulled within a point, 16-15, on a block from Gouard and Wehrheim.
The Tigers grew their advantage to 19-15 after a kill from Sabria Cooper.
Malloy then knocked a kill before placing a service ace to knot the set at 20-20 and force a Memphis timeout. She matched a career high four service aces to complement her kill-dig double-double.
Out of the break, Gouard added two kills that sandwiched a Malloy rally stopper to pull ahead 23-20. Kuhlmann slammed a kill to bring on set point before a Tigers attack error concluded the frame in SEMO's favor, 25-21.
Memphis then knotted the match at 1-1 with a 27-25 second set win.
The third set was a back-and-forth affair with SEMO winning the race to 10 with a slight edge, 10-9, on a Wehrheim rally stopper.
Wehrheim chipped in consecutive kills to push the advantage to 20-16. Kuhlmann then tallied a kill before Malloy brought on set point, 24-18, with a winner.
Gouard and Wehrheim combined for the block to seal the third set for Southeast, 25-18.
The fourth set started like the previous frame with a fight from the start. Ochs posted a kill before a Gouard service ace gave the Redhawks a 10-6 lead early in the set.
Meredith Wallace then connected with consecutive kills before Adams and Wehrheim extended the margin, 12-8, with a pair of rally stoppers.
A 3-0 Redhawks run widened the gap to 18-11. The Tigers came as close as 19-13 on a kill from Jada Birkel.
Kuhlmann and Adams each recorded a pair of kills down the stretch to solidify the victory, 25-13.
Southeast outblocked Memphis 8-6 as Gouard paced the Redhawks with a career high six. Wehrheim chipped in a personal best five.
Tara Beilsmith led the SEMO defense with 18 digs. Ally Dion added 15.
Dion had a service ace and now is second in Southeast program history (25-point rally scoring era from 2008 to present) with 88 career service aces. Julie Shives totaled 87 career services from 2010 to 2013.
Southeast opens its 2019 Ohio Valley Conference schedule on Tuesday when they welcome UT Martin (4-10) to Cape Girardeau, Missouri, for Houck "Filled" House at 6 p.m.
PRESBYTERIAN 3, SIUE 1; PURDUE FORT WAYNE 3, SIUE 1
EDWARDSVILLE, Ill. - The Cougars battled in their final two matches of the Cougar Classic, but fell short to Presbyterian College, 3-1 and Purdue-Fort Wayne, 3-2.
The Cougars fell to the Blue Hose of Presbyterian College 25-19, 25-19, 25-27 and 25-23 after battling back to win the third set.
The team battled back to keep the match alive after winning the third set. The team was able to fight back despite being down 7-1 in the set. The team hit .292 in the third set and saw multiple kills from Rachel McDonald, Hope Everett and Annie Ellis. The team was also to gain momentum off the three-team blocks they recorded in this set.
Despite having an early lead in the fourth set, the Cougars fell short 25-23 after hitting .256 in the set.
Leading the way for the Cougars was McDonald who recorded her second double double in the Cougar Classic. She had 15 kills and 11 digs in the first match alone. Other contributors include Everett with nine kills, Ellis with eight kills and Bagley with seven kills.
Defensively for the Cougars, Ellis had four blocks and Kiana Fields added 3. Jordyn Klein also assisted on the defensive side by recording 23 digs in the match.
Mallory Nicholson and Sarah Armendariz kept the offensive flow going by contributing a combined 49 assists.
The Cougars fell short to the Mastodons of Purdue-Fort Wayne 25-18, 25-23, 23-25, 18-25 and 9-15.
The Cougars once again for the second game of the day battled back after being down two sets.
McDonald and Armendariz both recorded double-doubles against the Mastodons. McDonald ended the game with 12 kills, 16 digs and two aces. Armendariz recorded 18 assists, 12 digs and two aces.
Others contributing to the battle include Fields added 10 kills and hit .455, Gabby Wimes also had 10 kills and hit .259 and Jordyn Klein tallied 20 digs.
Kiana Fields was recognized for her efforts over the weekend by making the Cougar Classic All-Tournament Team. Fields hit .258 on the weekend, recorded 21 kills and was a defensive threat for the Cougars by contributing 13 blocks.
The Cougars will open up OVC play at home on Friday against Austin Peay with first serve set for 6 p.m.