BIG RAPIDS, Mich. – The Missouri Western volleyball team bounced back with two convincing victories Saturday at the Ferris State Invitational. After dropping two tough matches Friday, the team completed sweeps of Mercyhurst and Wisconsin Parkside to return home from the event with a 2-2 record.
MATCH 1: Missouri Western 3, Mercyhurst 0
Missouri Western started day two of the event with a sweep of Mercyhurst. The Griffons took the first two sets 25-23 and the third 25-17 to pick up their first win of the season. In a back and forth first set, MWSU scored four of the final five points to take the set. Mercyhurst threatened late in the second set, scoring four-straight while facing set-point for MWSU but the Griffons were able to hold on and take the set on a Lindsey Patridge kill. Down 9-7 in the third set, the Griffons rattled off nine-straight points to take a 16-9 lead and control of the set.
Blair Russell led MWSU with 10 kills, her first double-digit kill performance as a Griffon. Jessie Thorup finished with nine kills and Partridge and Shellby Taylor each had six. Jordan Chohon had 33 assists and 10 digs, while Kayla Ruff led MWSU with 14 digs.
MATCH 2: Missouri Western 3, Wisconsin-Parkside 0
Missouri Western won its fourth-straight first set on the way to a three-set sweep that evened the team’s record to 2-2. The Griffons won set one 25-22, dominated set two 25-8 and took the final set 25-18. After jumping out to a 12-6 lead in the second, then outscored Wisconsin-Parkside 13-2 to take the set.
Thorup led the attack with 11 kills for the Griffons and Russell picked up 10, while hitting .588 in the match. The Griffons hit .311 as a team against Wisconsin-Parkside, their best match percenatge of the season. Ruff and Thorup each had eight digs with Amanda Dalbey and Audrey Keim adding seven apiece.
Thorup and Chohon were both named to the all-tournament team. Thorup had 45 kills and 37 digs while Chohon racked up 131 assists and 34 digs. The Griffons continue to stay far from St. Joseph next weekend when they head to Colorado Springs for four matches.
— MWSU Athletics —