Location:  College of the Ozarks (Keeter Gymnasium) Point Lookout, Missouri
Date:  November 19, 2024
Game Results:   Mid-America Christian University 3, Mission University 1
The Mission University Lady Patriots faced a very talented team in the Mid-American Christian University Lady Lions, but did themselves no favors with repeated mistakes in their 3-1 semifinal loss.  Service errors, service receive errors, and hitting errors proved too costly for the Lady Pats against the higher seeded Lady Lions.  In the first set, MU fell behind by large margins, 10-3, 15-6, and never could get closer than five points, 19-14, down the stretch before falling 25-16.  Three Lady Patriots, Maddie Rue, Ella Sims, and Summer Kenney, posted 3 Kills in the opening set.  In the second set, the Lady Patriots worked to a 6-3 lead early, only to see MACU go on a 6-0 run to take a 9-3 advantage.  MU fought hard to get within one point twice, 16-15 and 19-18, but could not take the lead in falling 25-20.  Sims and Kenney again posted 3 Kills during set 2.  Now down 2-0, the Lady Patriots needed to desperately play better and they did.  Once again, MU took a small early lead.  The Lady Lions tied it twice midway through the set, 7-7 and 8-8, before the Lady Pats had a 7-1 run to take a 15-9 lead.  MACU was not done just yet in the third set, as they battled back from a 19-13 deficit to tie the set 19-19, and then took a 22-21 lead.  Allison Czachowski made a Kill to tie the set, 22-22.  Ryleigh Fowler and Abbi Street followed with Kills, and then a hitting error by the Lady Lions secured a 25-22 third set victory for MU.  Kenney blasted 5 Kills during the third set to pace the Lady Patriots.  In the fourth set, the Lady Lions came out hot, up 4-1, but MU managed to scramble to tie the set two times, 6-6 and 7-7, before MACU had a small spurt to take the lead for good.  The Lady Patriots did not give up, battling on every point, even coming to within one point twice, 19-18 and 20-19, but could not get over the hump as they lost the final set 25-20.  Street led the attack for the Lady Patriots with 6 Kills, and at one point had 3 Kills in a row, during the fourth set.     

• Summer Kenney had a team-high 13 Kills, while hitting .209.
• Ella Sims had 10 Kills and hit .269.
• Abbi Street led the squad in hitting with .321, while adding 10 Kills.
• Rylea King paced the team with 17 Digs.
• Ryleigh Fowler led the team with 22 Assists.                            

 
Upcoming action:
The Volley Patriots await to see if their season will be extended by an at-large bid to play in the NCCAA National Tournament.