Box Score
KIRKSVILLE - - Freshman Allie Brak's career-high 18 kills and an all-around defensive team effort helped the Truman volleyball team pick up an MIAA-opening 3-2 win against No. 22 Emporia State on Saturday afternoon in front of nearly 1,600 fans in Pershing Arena.
The Bulldogs (6-3, 1-0 MIAA) jumped out to a quick 1-0 lead in the match, taking set one, 25-22, behind six Brak kills and a .227 team hitting percentage. Truman then appeared poised to head into the intermission up 2-0, leading the Hornets (6-4, 1-1 MIAA) by two late in the second set. However, ESU rattled off a 4-0 run to close it out, sending the teams to break tied at one apiece.
Despite the two teams combining for 15 attack errors in the third set, Truman outlasted ESU to take a 25-22 decision, before the Hornets rebounded once again to take a two-point victory in the fourth.
From there, the 'Dogs closed out the match with a strong attack, hitting .241 in the final set behind four kills by junior Emily Briseno and three by fellow junior Megan Sharpe, to take the a 15-12 fifth-set win and hand the 22nd-ranked Hornets their first conference loss.
Three Bulldogs – Brak (18), Sharpe (17) and Briseno (14) – finished with double-figure kills, while five players reached double-figure digs. Brak wrapped up her double-double with 14 digs behind team co-leaders junior Heather Hargadine and freshman Abby Moser's 24 apiece. Truman's two setters – senior Kylie Easlon and freshman Meghan Zimmerman – each notched an assist-dig double-double of their own, with both players setting new career bests in digs (18 and 15, respectively).
For the match, Truman hit .206 behind 71 total kills while holding ESU to just a .150 mark. The Bulldogs also dealt seven team aces to ESU's four and out-dug the Hornets by one, 105-104. The Hornets did put down 12 blocks to Truman's eight. Briseno led the Bulldogs with six total, including a pair of solo blocks in the second and third sets.
The Bulldogs take the next five days off before returning to action next Friday night at No. 4 Washburn (Kan.). First serve in Topeka against the Lady Blues (8-1, 1-0 MIAA) is set for 7:00 pm.
