DES MOINES, Iowa – The Drake University volleyball team nearly knocked off Missouri State in a thrilling five-set match on Saturday, Oct. 1, evening at the Knapp Center before the Bears pulled away for the 3-2 win.
Missouri State (11-7, 2-2 MVC) was picked second in the Missouri Valley Conference preseason poll with the reigning MVC Player of the Year and two-time All-American Lily Johnson on its roster.
However, that did not stop the Bulldogs from opening the match with a 25-23 win in the first set before dropping the next two sets, 25-18 and 25-17. Drake rallied back to force a fifth set thanks to a convincing 25-18 win in the fourth frame before falling, 15-10, in the final set.
"We would to have loved to had the upset with the win, but I'm really happy with the way our team played tonight," said Drake head coach Darrin McBroom. "To take two sets and be close in the fifth, I'm really proud. Certainly there are things we could have done better, but I'm pleased with the progress we're showing."
Drake (10-8, 1-3 MVC) was led by three players in double-figure kills with Kyla Inderski (Urbandale, Iowa) notching 13 kills while Makena Schoene (Seattle, Wash.) and Odessa Cody (Chicago, Ill.) added 12 and 10, respectively. Kameo Pope (Belle Plaine, Iowa) also had another strong evening with eight kills on 17 attempts for a .353 attacking percentage and four blocks.
Drake's defensive effort was equally balanced with four Bulldogs recording double-digits in digs with Michelle Thommi's (Omaha, Neb.) 14 leading the way.
Johnson recorded a staggering 33 kills on 68 attempts for Missouri State while Daniele Messa added 54 assists for the victors.
Drake's first set win featured 14 ties and five lead changes before two-straight MSU errors gave the Bulldogs enough of a cushion for Inderski to end the set on a kill. MSU opened the second set with five-straight points and quickly took a 15-5 lead. Drake slowly crawled back, but could not threaten the rest of the set, falling 25-18. The third set was close early until an 11-6 MSU run gave the Bears enough of a lead to cruise to the 25-17 win.
Undeterred by the back-to-back setbacks, the Bulldogs jumped out to a 6-1 lead in the fourth set and extended that lead to 13-6. The Bears briefly pulled within three points twice late in the set, but Drake got three late kills from Inderski to take the set, 25-18. The decisive fifth set was knotted early, but a 3-0 MSU run via two kills from Johnson created enough separation to allow the Bears to escape the Knapp Center with a win.
"We're shooting for the upset, but our goal is trying to get better with each game," McBroom added. "If we can do that, we're going to finish well with the end in mind. Every match has a life of its own. We have to start over again on Monday and meet the challenges that match brings."
The Bulldogs play their last contest in a three games in a four-day span on Monday when they welcome Illinois State to the Knapp Center. First serve against the Redbirds is set for 6 p.m.