November 7, 2026 - #12 Emporia State volleyball fell in four sets on Saturday night at White Auditorium, as the visiting Missouri Western Griffons took the match in four sets.
HOW IT HAPPENED
Set one started with an 8-2 scoring run by Missouri Western as the Hornets were forced to take a timeout. Despite the early start, Emporia State rallied with nine of the next ten as they took an 11-9 advantage to force a timeout on the Griffons side. The match progressed back and forth, as the Hornets eventually held a slim 19-18 edge. However, Missouri Western answered the slim lead with six of the next seven points on their way to a 25-23 win in the first frame.
In set two, Emporia State's again struggled in attack, hitting just .083 while the Griffons posted a .231 average on their way to a 25-17 win to build a 2-0 lead over the Hornets in the match.Â
Emporia State flipped the script in the third, building an early lead over the Griffons with a 7-3 advantage. The Hornets continued to lead throughout the remainder of set three, and despite a late push by the Griffons, Emporia State took the frame 25-23.Â
The Hornets trailed the Griffons 8-7 early in the fourth frame, but Missouri Western eventually gained control of the set and built their lead up to 19-12. Three straight points by Emporia State forced a Missouri Western timeout, but after the break, Missouri Western pushed forward to take set four 25-17.
A LOOK AT THE STATS
Emporia State hit just .150 on the night while Missouri Western hit .250. Lavra Krizanic had a match-high 18 kills while Maja Ciosek added 13 of her own.
UP NEXT
Emporia State earns the four-seed in the MIAA Tournament and will take on Central Oklahoma on Thursday, September 12 from Civic Arena in St. Joseph, Mo.
