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 For the first time this season, the No. 11 Truman volleyball team found itself on the wrong side of a five-set match, falling 3-2 (-21, 24-26, -23, 22-25, 15-12) at home to Missouri Southern on Friday night. Junior Molly Sinclair had 16 kills to lead four Bulldogs in double-figures offensively.

All five sets were nail-biters in Pershing Arena, with MSSU (15-10, 5-8 MIAA) picking up the majority of the set wins as a result of Truman (22-5, 11-4 MIAA) attack errors.

Despite registering eight additional kills and ten more digs, the Bulldogs fell victim to 30 total team attack errors and nine service errors, which made the difference in the tight match.

The first three sets brought 13 different tie scores apiece and a total of 14 different lead changes, with MSSU winning the first and third sets by scores of 25-21 and 25-23.

Truman came from behind in the second set and won in extra points, 26-24.

The Bulldogs appeared to have shifted the momentum back to its side, winning the fourth frame, 25-22, but the Lions jumped out to an early lead in the final set and rode side-outs to a 15-12 win.

Sinclair’s 16 kills were just one shy of her career-high, while senior Allison Barker added 14, and both sophomores Megan Sharpe and Lauren Radix tallied 13.

 Truman’s two setters each recorded assist-dig double-doubles, with senior Ashley Petak handing out a team-best 37 assists and coming up with 19 digs, and junior Kylie Easlon added 27 assists and 16 digs.

Junior Casey Bruno’s 26 digs were a match-high, as five Bulldogs (Petak, 19; Sinclair, 17; Easlon, 16; Barker 12) each finished in double-figures.

Sophomore Emily Briseno set a new season-high and tied a career-high with four solo blocks and led the Bulldogs with five total.

Rachel Olinyk paced MSSU with 21 kills and added three blocks, and Jeanna Feldman finished with ten kills and 20 digs.

Truman returns to action tomorrow (Sat., Oct. 29) evening at 6 pm against Pittsburg State (11-16, 3-11 MIAA), who fell in five sets at Northwest Missouri on Friday night.

The Bulldogs will recognize their four seniors prior to the start of the match.

Courtesy Truman State University