BOLIVAR, Mo. - The early season woes continued for Truman State Volleyball as it drops two on the first day of play at the SBU Invitational in Bolivar, Mo.
 
The Bulldogs fell in five sets to both Fort Hays St. (Kan.) in opening action and Great Lakes Valley Conference (GLVC) foe Southwest Baptist (Mo.) University in a non-conference match Friday. Already matching the 2023 squad in five-set matches, Truman State remains winless against six losses when going the distance.
 
Saturday competition at the SBU Invitational sees the Bulldogs against Ouachita State (Ark.) University at 9:30 a.m. and a 2 p.m. tilt against Missouri Southern State Universit.
 
 
Truman State University 2, Ft. Hays St. (Kan.) University 3
 
Truman State, which climbed to a 2-1 lead after winning Set 1 for just the second time this season, could not put away Fort Hays St. (Kan.) before falling two sets to three.
 
The opening match at the SBU Invitational marked the fifth time in nine the Bulldogs have pushed an opponent to the limit while the loss denied Truman State its chance to at evening the season series against Fort Hays St. at one win apiece.
 
Set 1 appeared to be in hand for the Bulldogs, 23-15, but the Tigers would be beneficiaries of Truman State attack errors climbing back to 23-19. Two kills from freshman outside hitter Michaela Goad put the set away and provide the 1-0 match lead. Set 2 figured to be in hand for the Tigers, 24-16, but the Bulldogs fought back to 24-22 on a service ace by junior outside hitter Jessica Proszenyak and kills from freshman middle blockers Hannah Hosty and Autumn Erickson before finally surrendering the set point. 
 
The third set went to Truman State, only the second 2-1 match lead on the season, after holding back a four-point rally from the Tigers who found themselves in a 24-19 deficit. Up 23-20 in Set 4, the Bulldogs could not withstand four straight kills from Tiger Gracie Rains who scored six of the last seven points for Fort Hays St.
 
Kills from Hosty and Goad evened the final set at 11 before a final Fort Hays St. once secured the victory 15-12.
 
Goad's 20 kills, a mark she first reached on Sept. 6 against Northern Michigan, paced the squad with a combined 46 assists sophomore setter Tori Creason (26) and senior setter Emma Baierl (20).
 
Truman State University 2, Southwest Baptist University 3
 
The SBU Bearcats got just their eighth win against 53 losses to the Bulldogs all-time following a 3-2 victory Saturday.
 
Despite a convincing 25-16 win to open the match, Truman State dropped the next two, 25-18 and 25-20, before equalizing things at two sets each on a 25-21 Set 4 win.
 
The tenth and final set of the day started well for the Bulldogs when a Baierl service ace and block from redshirt freshman middle blocker Makayla Way and freshman outside hitter Laci Neece put the Purple and White up 6-2. The three-point lead grew to 10-5 on an Erickson kill, but SBU climbed back and knotted the score at 11 all. A kill from freshman right side hitter Lily Porter got Truman State to within two, 12-14, but a service error from Proszenyak finished things off for the SBU win.
 
Goad and Proszenyak contributed 16 and 10 kills, respectively, while Way provided three total blocks to lead the team.