KIRKSVILLE, Mo. - With Great Lakes Valley Conference tournament hopes on the line, both the Truman State University volleyball team and Drury entered Tuesday's showdown with seven league wins apiece. The Bulldogs rolled in the first two sets and held off a late Panther charge to win their second in a row and move three games above the .500 mark for the first time since November of 2015.

Since a loss at No. 3 Lewis on Oct. 7 to go a season worst three games below .500 for the second time in three matches, Truman (16-13, 8-8 GLVC) has won nine of its last 11 to stay alive in the hunt for postseason play. Meanwhile, Drury (18-12, 7-10 GLVC) has been on the short end in two-straight matches and six of its last seven.

Natalie Brimeyer led the Bulldogs in kills for the first time since Sept. 27 at MIssouri S&T (15 matches ago) and fourth time this season as she sent home 12 with just one error on 27 swings for a blistering .407 hitting percentage. Brimeyer had at least 10 kills in a match just five times through the first 24 matches of the year, but has reached such heights in her last five-consecutive outings. Tuesday, Sam Yancy and Jasmine Brown each had double-digit kills as well with 11 and 10, respectively.

Savvy Hughes notched 40 assists and 14 digs for her 15th double-double of the season and 30th as a Bulldog. Lauren Wacker led the Purple and White in digs with 25 while Brown added 14 for her 14th career double-double, all of which have come as a senior. Above the net, Brimeyer blocked seven attempts and Brown registered six stuffs.

How it happened...

• Truman came out on a mission and scored 12 of the first 13 points in the first set.
• After that, the Bulldogs lead was never smaller than eight (13-5) and grew as large as 12 (21-9, 24-12 and 25-13).
• There were also no lead changes in the second set and the lone tie came at 1-1.
• The Purple and White took an early 9-4 lead before the visitors slimmed the deficit to three at both 9-6 and 10-7.
• The home team kept the pressure on, though, with an 8-2 run that put it up by nine, 18-9.
• Drury didn't go away quietly and eventually cut the margin to four at 22-18 before Truman rattled off the final three points of the set to win it, 25-18.
• Neither team led by more than three points through the first 34 scored of the third set and there had been nine ties.
• From there, the Panthers used an 8-3 run of their own to win the set, 25-20.
• The fourth set was by far the tightest one of the night as it saw a combined 16 ties and six lead changes.
• Each team had a lead as big as three points including 4-1, 17-14 and 18-15 for Drury and 12-9 for Truman.
• After the 18-15 mark, the Bulldogs out-scored the Panthers 11-6 to win the set, 26-24, and the match in four.

Next up, Truman will host Missouri S&T on Friday with first serve set for 7 p.m. inside Pershing Arena.

#BewareOfDog