October 25, 2016-Playing their seventh nationally ranked team in the last 14 matches, Emporia State led early in each set before falling in three sets at #25 Rockhurst on Tuesday night in Kansas City, Mo. The Hornets are 11-8 against non-ranked teams this year.
Emporia State jumped out to a 3-1 lead in the first set on a pair of kills from Shayla Cotman and one from Jamie Hauptman. The Hornets led 6-5 when the Hawks went on an 8-1 run to take control of the set.
Emporia State led 4-2 in the second set with Josie Williams kills accounting for three of the four points. Rockhurst then went on a 5-0 run to take the lead only to see the Hornets get kills from Williams and Danika Burton to tie the score at 7-7. The Hawks scored the next two points and steadily pulled away from there.
The third set saw Emporia State again get out to a 3-1 lead. The Hornets took a 14-13 lead on another Williams kill before the Hawks went on a 6-0 run to take the lead for good.
Williams led Emporia State with 12 kills on .333 hitting with two blocks and five digs. Cotman had seven kills on .357 hitting but no one else had more than four kills in the match. Alli Maloney had 13 digs and was the only Hornet in double figures.
The Hornets will close out October with a pair of matches this weekend. On Saturday night Emporia State will play their eighth top 25 opponent in their last 15 matches as they play host to #16 Northwest Missouri. First serve is set for 7:00 p.m. in White Auditorium. The Hornets will then take on Missouri Western in a rare Sunday afternoon match. The schedule adjustment is due to the KSHSAA Class 2A and 3A State Volleyball Championships in White Auditorium.
