Box Score Springfield, Mo. — October 28, 2025
Mission University Women's Volleyball closed out Senior Night in thrilling fashion Thursday, defeating Cottey College in five sets, 3–2. The Lady Patriots (11–17, 7–7 AMC) honored senior Sarah Purcell, who has spent all four years with the program and will return next season as a graduate assistant.
Mission entered the matchup 10–17 overall and 6–7 in conference play after a 0–3 loss to Stephens College. Cottey came in 15–15 and 7–6 in AMC play following a 3–1 loss to Central Baptist. With Senior Night spotlighting Sarah Purcell, the Lady Patriots looked to send their lone senior off with a win inside their home gym in Springfield.

Set 1 — Cottey Rallies Late (26–24 Cottey)

Mission opened the night with the first point, and after trading early scores, built momentum behind kills from Abbi Street and Karsyn Ryan to lead 6–2. The Lady Patriots forced an early Cottey timeout up 8–2, but the Comets answered back. A powerful swing from Street put Mission ahead 11–4, yet Cottey's steady response narrowed the margin.
A clever play by Allie Czachowski kept Mission ahead 15–12, and Street continued her dominant stretch with another kill to make it 19–16. Moments later, Sarah Purcell fired down a kill for a 20–16 lead, but the Comets refused to go away. Street struck again to reclaim the advantage at 23–22, but Cottey tied it at 24–24 and took control. After a Mission timeout, the Comets completed the comeback, 26–24, to take set one.

Set 2 — Mission Answers Back (25–18 Mission)

Cottey grabbed the first point of set two, but Mission quickly found rhythm in a tight opening stretch. Purcell made an early impact with a solo block to give Mission a 5–4 lead. The Lady Patriots began to separate on kills from Czachowski, building a 10–6 advantage.
Purcell continued her strong play, connecting on a kill that forced a Cottey timeout at 15–10. Out of the break, Czachowski delivered an ace to extend the lead to six. Cottey struggled to find footing as Mission kept control, pushing ahead 21–14 and prompting another Cottey timeout.
After the Comets fought off two set points, Mission closed it out with another Czachowski kill, 25–18, evening the match at one set each.

Set 3 — Mission Battles Through (26–24 Mission)

Carrying momentum from set two, Mission started strong in the third with a 2–0 lead. Czachowski tacked on a kill to make it 3–1, and Street powered another shot straight down the middle for a 6–5 edge.
Both sides traded points through the middle of the set, with Cottey briefly pulling ahead 16–15. Mission called timeout trailing 17–19, but responded with back-to-back kills from Shelby Evans to close the gap to one. The Lady Patriots tied the game at 20–20, forcing a Cottey timeout.
Out of the break, Cottey regained a narrow lead, but Mission answered in clutch fashion. Down 23–24 facing set point, the Lady Patriots flipped the script, winning three straight points to take the set, 26–24, and a 2–1 match lead.

Set 4 — Cottey Evens the Match (25–19 Cottey)

Cottey came out swinging in the fourth, jumping to a 9–4 advantage and forcing an early Mission timeout. The Lady Patriots regrouped and started to chip away, highlighted by a connection from Hannah Maxwell to Purcell for a kill that cut the deficit to 11–6.
Mission's rally continued, narrowing the gap to 11–12 after a long exchange, and then taking a brief 13–12 lead on a Maxwell point at the net. The set stayed tight at 16–16 before Cottey surged ahead again. The Comets used a late 4–1 run to lead 20–17, forcing a Mission timeout.
Mission couldn't recover as Cottey maintained momentum, reaching set point at 24–19 and closing it out, 25–19, to tie the match at 2–2.

Set 5 — Senior Night Win (16–14 Mission)

With the match on the line, Mission struck first in the decisive fifth set. Czachowski opened the scoring with a soft-touch kill, and the Lady Patriots jumped out to a 3–0 start before Cottey got on the board. The Comets rallied to tie it at 5–5, but Purcell responded with another timely kill to even things at 7–7.
Czachowski slammed down another point to make it 10–8 and force a Cottey timeout. The teams traded leads late, with Mission calling timeout down 12–11. Purcell's steady play at the net gave Mission back the lead at 13–12, but Cottey pushed to match point at 14–13.
After a Mission timeout, the Lady Patriots dug deep. A crucial block extended the set, and another at the net sealed the win, 16–14, as Mission took the match 3–2 to cap off Senior Night in dramatic fashion.

Postgame

Mission improved to 11–17 overall and 7–7 in the AMC with the win. Sarah Purcell capped her final home match with a strong performance, while Abbi Street, Allie Czachowski, Shelby Evans, Hannah Maxwell, and Karsyn Ryan all contributed key plays throughout the night.
The Lady Patriots return to action this Saturday at 12:00 p.m., hosting Harris-Stowe State University.