November 1, 2025 - Emporia State volleyball struggled early on Saturday night against Missouri Western, dropping the first two sets, but the Hornets rallied to force five sets before ultimately falling to the 23rd-ranked Griffons 3-2 in the match.
HOW IT HAPPENED
Missouri Western took an early lead, going up 5-1 on the Hornets in the first before Emporia State scored four straight to tie it up. Set one saw multiple lead changes until late in the frame with the Griffons holding a 23-21 advantage. Emporia State scored two straight points and were able to hold off five set points before Missouri Western eventually took set one 31-29.
Set two was mostly controlled by the Griffons, as they took an early lead and never looked back on their way to a 25-16 win in the second.
Through the first half of set three, the two teams went back and forth with Missouri Western leading 15-13. The Hornets then rallied to score eight of the next nine to propel themselves to a 25-20 set three win to keep the match alive. The momentum carried into the fourth frame, as the Hornets took control early on and rolled to a 25-18 win as the Hornets and Griffons headed to a decisive fifth set.
In the final frame, after the Hornets took two of the first three points, the Griffons scored four straight to go up 5-2. Emporia State rallied back to take an 8-7 lead as the teams switched sides. Following the switch, Missouri Western scored five of the next six to go up 12-8 and the Hornets were unable to climb all the way back, falling 15-11 in the fifth and 3-2 in the match against the 23rd-ranked Griffons.
A LOOK AT THE STATS
Four Hornets had double-digit kills, with
Nyia Anderson and
Lavra Krizanic both tallying 14 in the match.
Mia Frisbie and
Delainee Dexter each had 12 kills, and had 28 assists and 22 digs, marking her second triple-double of the season. Along with Dexter's 22 digs, Anderson and
Boglarka Rady both had 21 digs of their own.
UP NEXT
The road trip will continue next week for the Hornets, and begins with a matchup against Fort Hays State on Friday, November 7. First serve between Emporia State and the Tigers is scheduled for 6:00 p.m.
