Box Score | Season Stats
KIRKSVILLE - - For the second straight night, a Truman volleyball player hit the 20-kill mark, as senior Molly Sinclair set a new career-high with an even 20 kills to lead the Bulldogs to a 3-2 (-19, 23-25, -23, 20-25, 15-12) win on Homecoming Saturday night against Missouri Western.
Sinclair (St. Louis, Mo., Ursuline Academy), who added nine digs, two blocks and an ace to her nightly line, started slowly but heated up throughout the match, culminating with a four-kill, zero-error fifth-set performance. Fellow outside hitter Allie Brak (The Colony, Texas, The Colony) notched her eighth double-double in 10 matches with a 17-kill, 12-dig outing while hitting .366.
The Bulldogs (10-8, 2-4 MIAA) appeared to be able to set the cruise control, opening the match with a 25-19 win in the first set. But MWSU (9-9, 2-4 MIAA) turned around and took set two, 25-23, before the Bulldogs regained the advantage with a 25-23 decision in the third.
Despite nine attack errors in the fourth set, MWSU picked up a 25-20 win to send the match to a fifth set for the second straight night for Truman. But after the Griffons got out to a 6-3 lead, the Bulldogs stormed back with five straight and eight of 10 to take an 11-8 lead. From there, the Bulldogs maintained a safe cushion, never letting the Griffs creep to within two before Megan Sharpe (Edwardsville, Ill., Edwardsville), who closed her night with a 14-kill, .480 hitting performance, ripped one last attack for match point.
Truman hit high percentages in its three set wins, aiding a .251 nightly attack line, while MWSU hit .209. The 'Dogs out-dug MWSU, 78-74, behind a 33-dig effort by freshman Abby Moser (Wildwood, Mo., Lafayette). It was the second 30+ dig match of the season for Moser, who was joined in double-figures by fellow freshmen Brak (12) and setter Meghan Zimmerman (Papillion, Neb., Gross Catholic) (11).
Both teams struggled to serve effectively, combining for five aces and 22 errors, while Truman out-blocked the Griffons, 11-7, behind six by junior Emily Briseno (Lee's Summit, Mo., Lee's Summit West).
The Bulldogs are off for a week before heading to the LaQuinta Inn & Suites Invitational at Arkansas Tech University next Friday and Saturday (Oct. 14-15).
