WARRENSBURG, Mo. - 2013, the Truman State University volleyball program's first season as a member of the Great Lakes Valley Conference, was the last in which the Bulldogs won three of their first four matches. Fast forward to 2018 and the Purple and White made that a reality once again with a pair of sweeps on Saturday in the Peggy Martin Challenge against Missouri Southern and No. 14 Arkansas Tech.

Truman swept a ranked opponent for the first time since Sept. 20, 2014 when it happened vs. No. 20 West Texas A&M. That campaign also marked the last time the Bulldogs recorded multiple wins over ranked opponents, but it only took them four matches to do so this year.

Saturday, it was junior opposite, Jocelynn Livingston's (pictured) turn to have a big day. Livingston led the team in kills with 17 (5.67 per set) to just two errors on 30 total attacks for a blistering hitting percentage of .500. Senior setter, Savvy Hughes, was a close second in hitting percentage at .478 with 13 kills and only two errors on 23 swings. Hughes also recorded 60 assists, Claire Wandrey led in service aces with three, Lauren Wacker notched 31 digs, and Natalie Brimeyer stuffed seven attempts.

In the first set against Missouri Southern, three of the set's four ties came in the first 10 total points. Once it was 5-5, Truman used a 7-1 run to go up by six, 12-6. The Bulldogs would keep the lead for a majority of the match, but the Lions didn't make it easy. MSSU fought all the way back to tie it for a fourth and final time at 21-21 before Truman rattled off four of the final five points to win the set, 25-22.

The second set was by far the tightest one of the match as it saw six ties and the set's only two lead changes. Aside from three early deadlocks at 1-1, 2-2 and 3-3, Missouri Southern was in complete control in the beginning with a lead as big as five on four different occasions. After the final occurrence at 16-11, Truman scored eight of the next 11 points to knot it up at 19-19. From there until the end of the set, the Bulldogs outscored the Lions 6-3 and again won the set, 25-22.

The third set represented complete dominance by Truman as the only tie was 4-4 and the Bulldogs rolled to an 11-point victory, 25-14, and the match in straight sets.

The Purple and White carried that momentum into the 3 p.m. match with No. 14 Arkansas Tech and beat the Golden Suns handily in the first, 25-17. Despite the score, that was the closest set of the match with six ties and four lead changes. Twenty-five points in, the Bulldogs trailed by one, 13-12, before they cranked out five points in a row to go up 17-13, and forced a timeout from the Golden Suns. After that, Arkansas Tech was never closer than three (17-14 and 18-15).

In the second period, it was all Golden Suns right away as they scored seven of the first eight points and were in control before the Bulldogs scrapped and clawed all the way back to tie it at 20-20. The Purple and White then used a small 5-3 spurt to finish it, 25-23. For the third, the three ties and two lead changes came in the first nine points as Truman led 5-4. After that, the Bulldogs manhandled the Golden Suns to the tune of 20-8 for the second sweep in a row.

When all was said and done, Ellie Kaat, Hughes and Livingston were three of 10 student-athletes named to the Peggy Martin Challenge All-Tournament Team.

Next up, Truman is in Salt Lake City, Utah for the Westminster Invitational on Friday-Saturday, Aug. 31-Sept. 1. The Bulldogs will face Minnesota State (10:30 a.m.) and Fort Lewis (6 p.m.) on day one before the host, Westminster (1 p.m.), and Lubbock Christian (6 p.m.) on day two.

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