FT. HAYS, Kan. - The Truman State Volleyball team dropped a pair to open play at the 2024 Tiger Classic on Friday.
In the first action of the day, the Bulldogs took Emporia State (Kan.) University to five sets before falling 15-8 in the final frame marking the third time in the young season where Truman State has pushed a foe to the max. Northwestern Oklahoma State University blanked the 'Dogs 3-0 to end the day's competition.
Play at the Tiger Classic continues Saturday with Truman State looking for its first win on the campaign against host Fort Hays State (Kan.) University at noon and wrap up against the University of Colorado at Colorado Springs in a 4 p.m. tilt.
Truman State 2, Emporia State (Kan.) 3
For the third time in 2024, the Truman State Volleyball squad took an opponent to five sets before falling to Emporia State (Kan.), 3-2.
The second set, a 25-18 win for Truman State, saw the Bulldogs hit a match-high .304 with 14 kills. The Purple and White fended off a rally from Emporia State en route to a 25-19 win in set four, but an early 5-1 in set five kept the Bulldogs at bay for the rest of the match.
Freshman outside hitter Michaela Goad paced the Truman State attack with 15 kills in addition to notching three aces and three blocks. Sophomore Tori Creason and senior Emma Baierl split setting duties and tallied 21 and 18 assists, respectively.
Truman State is now 0-3 in five-set matches being defeated by both Minnesota State University, Mankato, and Northern Michigan University on the second day of play at the Maverick Invite.
Truman State 0, Northwestern Oklahoma State 3
The Bulldogs kept pace with Northwestern Oklahoma State but could not break through and fell 3-0.
Five unanswered points to end the first, combined with one service error to Truman State's six total, gave Northwestern Oklahoma the 1-0 match lead. In the second, the lead would knot at five and again at 8 with things remaining close until a six-point run allowed the Rangers to slip away toward the end. The 'Dogs got off to an early lead in the third but could never pull away before falling 25-23.
Goad once again led the squad in kills with eight followed by six from freshman right side hitter Lily Porter and junior outside hitter Jessica Proszenyak. Creason's 18 assists were high for Truman State.
