Game One
ST.  JOSEPH – The Missouri Western Volleyball team swept Oklahoma Baptist 3-0 (25-21 25-15 25-12) to open the Gold & Green Challenge at the MWSU Fieldhouse.

The Griffons fought off 8 straight Bison points in the first set before finishing on a 6-2 run to win the opening set.  Rachel Friedrichs had six of her team high 13 kills in the first set. Missouri Western raced out to an 8-3 second set lead and never looked back from there. The Griffons finished the set with 4 straight points capped by an ace from Tiana Butler.  MWSU never trailed at any point in the third set and a Shellby Taylor kill would start a 9-1 run to close out the match for the Griffons.

Missouri Western finished with 47 kills and six aces as a team.  The Griffons will play their second game of the Gold & Green Challenge at 6 p.m. against Missouri S&T in the MWSU Fieldhouse.

Game Two
ST. JOSEPH – Missouri Western Volleyball lost to Missouri S&T 3-1 (25-20 23-25 21-25 30-32) in the Gold & Green Challenge at the MWSU Fieldhouse.

The Griffons only allowed the Miners one lead in the first set and that was after the match’s first point.  Missouri Western closed the first set with back to back kills from Rachel Friedrichs and Shellby Taylor.  Second set saw the Griffons break out of the gates earlier with a 7-1 lead.  S&T countered with an 11-1 run of their own to tie the match at 15.  The Miners carried that momentum to win the second and third set.

Early in the fourth set, both teams traded multiple 4-0 runs.  S&T had opportunities to put away the match but the Griffons bought back with kills by Ashley Mainord, Kelsey Olion and Rachel Friedrichs.

Friedrich led MWSU with 18 kills with Blair Russell adding 12.  The Griffons split the day’s matches and will open play tomorrow at 9 a.m. against East Central and finish the day at 6 p.m. against Minnesota State.

— MWSU Athletics —