Tournament Preview

Mission University headed into the Fall Classic Tournament hosted by College of the Ozarks with a 1-1 record to start the 2025 campaign. The Lady Patriots opened their season strong, sweeping Central Christian in three sets, before dropping a five-set battle at home against Avila. The tournament field featured a mix of familiar and challenging opponents. Host school College of the Ozarks, making its season debut, entered with high expectations after capturing last year's NAIA regional title and earning a spot in the national tournament. Mid-America Christian arrived with a 2-1 record, including a 21-14 campaign in 2024 where they finished as regional runners-up. St. Mary entered at 3-1, carrying momentum from a recent win, while Avila, already on Mission's schedule this season, began at 2-2 and looking to improve on a 9-22 record from last year.

Game 1: St. Mary 3, Mission 0 (11-25, 21-25, 20-25)

Mission opened play Friday, August 29, against the University of St. Mary. Dressed in their powder blue uniforms with the libero in red, the Lady Patriots traded points early and knotted the score 6-6. The Spires found their rhythm and never looked back, going on a 9-2 run to surge ahead 15-8. They extended the lead the rest of the way, closing the first set in commanding fashion, 25-11. Set two was much tighter. St. Mary carried over their momentum to grab a 9-5 lead, eventually pushing it to 18-8. Mission refused to go away, clawing back and trimming the deficit to just two points late in the set. Despite the rally, St. Mary held strong and secured it 25-21. In the third set, the Lady Patriots fell behind 9-4 and later trailed 17-11. Mission again fought back, cutting it to 20-17 on a late surge. But the Spires were too steady, pulling away to finish 25-20 and complete the sweep.

Game 2: Mid-American Christian 3, Mission 0 (13-25, 17-25, 13-25)

Mission's second match of the day came against Mid-American Christian. Once again in their powder blues, the Lady Patriots ran into a red-hot MACU squad. The Evangels jumped out to an 8-2 start and doubled the lead to 18-8 midway through the set. MACU never let up, claiming the opener 25-13. Mission responded in set two with a more settled attack, hanging close at 7-5. The back-and-forth didn't last, however, as MACU used a series of runs to build separation and closed the frame 25-17. In the third set, MACU stormed ahead with a 6-0 run out of the gate, quickly dictating the pace. Mission tried to respond with points of their own, but couldn't sustain momentum. The Evangels finished off the match with another 25-13 win. That result sent Mission to the end of Day 1 at 0-2 in tournament play.

Game 3: Mission 3, Avila 0 (25-20, 25-17, 25-20)

Saturday opened with a rematch against Avila — a team that had defeated Mission earlier in the week in a five-set thriller. This time, the Lady Patriots came out determined. Wearing their red uniforms with the libero in powder blue, they brought energy from the first serve. Mission took a 10-6 lead in the opening set and extended it to 18-11. Avila mounted a small rally to close within four, but a kill by senior Shelby Evans sealed the set for Mission, 25-20. The Lady Patriots carried that momentum into set two. After a 3-3 tie, Mission went on a tear, building an 11-4 advantage. They never looked back, pushing the margin to double digits at 21-11 before closing out 25-17. Sequoia Cronlund put the exclamation point on the frame with a solo block to end it. Avila battled hard in the third set, taking an 18-16 lead late. But Mission showed resilience, rallying back behind strong net play and defensive effort. A block attempt by Allie Czachowski forced an Avila error, sealing the 25-20 win and giving Mission a straight-set sweep, their first tournament victory and revenge over the Lady Eagles.
 

Game 4: College of the Ozarks 3, Mission 0 (15-25, 12-25, 14-25)

Mission wrapped up the weekend against host College of the Ozarks, who were making their season debut in front of a strong home crowd. The Lady Patriots, back in red, came out firing as Allie Czachowski opened with a kill and Karsyn Ryan followed with a solo block. The Bobcats answered with a series of runs, building a 17-10 lead and finishing off the set 25-15. Set two was tighter early, with C of O holding just a 6-5 edge, but a 10-4 stretch widened the gap, and the Bobcats claimed it 25-12. C of O carried their momentum into the third, jumping out to a 15-8 lead. Mission fought hard to create a late push but couldn't overcome the deficit, dropping the set 25-14 and the match in straight sets.

Tournament Recap

That is a wrap on the C of O Fall Classic Volleyball Tournament. Mission finishes 1-3 in tournament play with their lone win against Avila. Mission was met against high-level competition and played competitively throughout the tournament. The highlight of the tournament came in game three, as Mission faced off against Avila. In a sweep of sets by Mission, the Lady Patriots were able to avenge the loss they took earlier in the week. While losses to St. Mary, Mid-American Christian, and College of the Ozarks showed areas to grow, the Lady Patriots demonstrated resilience, energy, and flashes of their potential throughout the tournament. With the Fall Classic complete, Mission turns the page to the Evangel Quad Tournament. The Lady Patriots return to action on Friday, September 5, against Texas A&M Texarkana.