Springfield, Mo. — September 23, 2025
Pregame
Mission University returned home to Hilly Beck Court at W.E. Dowell Fieldhouse for their fourth conference game of the year. The stands were filled, with the Mission student body showing out and Columbia College fans traveling well. The Lady Patriots entered the contest 4–12, still seeking their first conference victory after a five-set loss to Harris-Stowe State University. Columbia arrived undefeated in conference play at 4–10 overall, coming off a sweep of Hannibal-LaGrange University.
Set 1 – Mission 24, Columbia 26
Columbia opened the match with the first point on a block, but Mission responded with steady play to take their first lead at 4–3. Allie Czachowski pushed the advantage to 8–6 with a kill, forcing a Columbia timeout. Shelby Evans then found the back corner to extend Mission's lead to 12–6.
Columbia battled back, cutting the deficit to three before a service error gave Mission a 14–10 lead. A strong dig from Rylea King kept a rally alive, but Columbia answered with a kill. The Lady Cougars' mix of defense and offense pulled them within two at 18–16, leading Mission to call timeout. Columbia tied the set at 21, but Cora Duit responded with a timely kill to push Mission back in front, 23–21. The set went down to the wire, and though Mission held set point at 24–23, Columbia delivered a late kill to steal it, 26–24.
Set 2 – Mission 15, Columbia 25
Columbia carried its momentum into the second set, jumping ahead early. Cora Duit kept Mission in the fight with a kill that cut the lead to 6–4, and struck again later to make it 11–6. The Lady Cougars, however, continued to dictate the pace, extending their largest lead of the match to 16–10.
Mission called timeout as Columbia stacked on another block. Abbi Street tried to spark a response with a kill, but Columbia's defense remained dominant, putting up a wall at the net. Controlling the set from start to finish, the Lady Cougars secured a 25–15 win to go up 2–0.
Set 3 – Mission 20, Columbia 25
Mission came out determined in the third set, with Shelby Evans starting strong on the block. Evans and Allie Czachowski combined for another block, and Sarah Purcell added a kill to maintain a slim lead. A block from Cora Duit and Abbi Street extended it to 7–3, and Rylea King's impressive dig led to a Columbia error that made it 9–5.
Columbia clawed back midway through the set, taking a 14–13 lead. Sarah Purcell responded with a kill to tie it at 14, but Columbia's offense and defense clicked down the stretch. Mission continued to battle, with Shelby Evans and Sarah Purcell finding late points, but the Lady Cougars closed it out 25–20 to secure the sweep.
Post Game
Mission was unable to overcome the early deficit against Columbia College, falling in straight sets. The loss drops the Lady Patriots to 0–4 in conference play and 4–13 overall. Columbia improves to 5–10 and remains perfect in AMC action. Mission stays in conference play for its next match-up, traveling to Central Baptist College.
