The 15th-ranked Truman volleyball opened the weekend with a 3-0 (-20, -14, -14) sweep of Missouri Southern in Pershing Arena on Friday night.
Sophomore OH Allie Brak led all players with 15 kills, while freshman Ali Patterson added eight kills and hit .400 from the other OH spot.
The Bulldogs (25-4, 13-2 MIAA) won their 16th straight match heading into tomorrow’s top-15 battle with sixth-ranked Central Missouri and needed a little more than an hour to dispatch Missouri Southern (0-27, 0-15 MIAA) in front of 525 fans.
Truman kept Southern from making any sustained runs, siding out at a 68% clip, while holding MSSU to just .011 hitting on the night.
Brak had 13 of her 15 kills in the first two sets, stepping aside for freshmen Taylor Mirka and Kassi Schroeder to come off the bench for a pair of kills each in the final frame.
Patterson's eight kills and an ace gave her nine total points on the night, while senior MB Emily Briseno totaled eight points with four kills and four blocks.
Sophomore S Meghan Zimmerman finished with 35 assists and six digs, with fellow sophomore Abby Moser leading all players with 14 digs along the back line.
Nai Montano had five kills to lead MSSU, while Danielle Severns finished with a team-high 12 digs.
The Bulldogs will look to avenge their last loss – precisely six weeks ago – on Saturday afternoon at 3pm when they host UCM on Senior Day.
Truman will recognize its four seniors – Heather Hargadine, Allyson Stellmach, Megan Sharpe and Emily Briseno – prior to the match.
Fans are encouraged to wear black to “Black Out Pershing” for the seniors, with the Truman ROTC donating shirts to the first 50 students in attendance
Courtesy Truman State University