HORNET VOLLEYBALL FALLS IN FIVE SETS FOR THE THIRD TIME ON THURSDAY

September 26, 2019-Emporia State came back from 2-1 down in sets and trailing 13-11 in the fifth to have match point but could not complete the comeback in a 3-2 loss to Missouri Western on Thursday as the Hornets fell 25-17, 24-26, 25-20, 19-25, 16-14 to the Griffons in White Auditorium.
 
The Griffons used an 11-4 run to turn a 10-10 tie into a 21-14 lead in the first set. The Hornets would fight off three set points before Missouri Western was able to close out the 25-17 win.
 
The second set saw 11 ties and five lead changes as it went to extra points. With the score tied at 15 Emporia State rolled off five straight points to take the biggest lead of the set at 20-15.  The Griffons came back with an 8-2 run of their own to take a 23-22 lead. Back to back kills by Jessica Hayes and Orianna Clements gave Emporia State their first set point.  Ali Tauchen staved off one set point with a kill for Western before Hayes gave the Hornets the lead back and Yuchen Du delivered a kill to end the set at 26-24.
 
Neither team took more than a two point lead through the first 17 points of set three until a 3-1 Griffon run gave them a 10-7 lead.  They would maintain the lead until back to back blocks, first by Hayes and Valerie Golder followed by Golder and Du, tied the score at 18-18 and force a Missouri Western timeout.  The two traded points until the Griffons ended the set on a 6-1 run to take a 2-1 match lead with a 25-20 victory in the third.
 
Emporia State trailed 3-0 to start the fourth but used a 5-0 run, with three kills coming from Du, to take a 5-3 lead. Western answered with a 4-0 run of their own to retake the lead at 7-5.  The set remained close for the next 24 points and was tied at 18-18.  The Hornets then closed the set on a 7-1 run to win 25-19 and force a fifth set.
 
The Hornets fell behind 2-0 to start the fifth and trailed 8-5 when the teams switched sides.  Emporia State then went on a 4-1 run to tie the set at 9-9.  The teams traded points until a block by the Griffs Sam Duncan and Tauchen put them ahead 13-11.  The Hornets scored the next three points on a pair of kills from Clements sandwiched around a block by Golder and Allie Christensen to get to match point a 14-13.  Missouri Western then got kills from Lauren Murphy, Duncan and Danielle Moje to close out the set 16-14 and win the match.
 
Yuchen Du led Emporia State with 16 kills on .316 hitting with seven digs, five assists and four block assists.  Jessica Hayes had a double-double with 13 kills and ten digs while Orianna Clements had 13 kills on .379 hitting.  Rylie Fornelli had a career high 34 digs in her first full match at libero.  Emma Dixon led Emporia State with 24 assists.  Shelby Ebert had 18 digs while Valerie Golder added six block assists.
 
Emporia State will have the weekend off before returning to action at White Auditorium on Tuesday, October 1 against Ft. Hays State.  First serve against the Tigers is set for 6:00 p.m.