MACOMB, IL – Western Illinois volleyball put together a strong opening frame and hung with SEC opponent Missouri before ultimately falling in straight sets on Saturday afternoon inside Western Hall. The Leathernecks continue their season with a record 3-10.

Set One
The Leathernecks came out energized in front of their home crowd, jumping to a quick 3-0 lead after a service ace from Jaleah Bauss and back-to-back blocks from Hillary Estes and Kennedy Adair. WIU extended its cushion to 7-2 following kills from Kiyah Franklin and Cruse, forcing Missouri into an early timeout.

The Tigers responded with a string of service aces, but the Leathernecks continued to punch back. Grace Kremer and Cruse combined for a block to push WIU ahead 10-8, and Franklin added a kill off a Bauss assist to keep momentum rolling. Missouri surged back to tie at 15-15, and from there, the two teams traded points in a thrilling finish.

Adair delivered clutch kills late, and Cruse tied the set at 23-23 with a swing from the right side. On set point down 24-23, Adair again came through to even the score, but Missouri closed out the frame with a kill and a service ace to narrowly take it 26-24.

Set Two
The second set saw the Tigers' serving pressure take over. Missouri opened on a 6-0 run before Adair stopped the streak with a kill. Franklin and Grace Ulatowski chipped in kills midway through the set, while Bauss notched another assist and a service ace. Defensively, Karlie Lane and Cruse continued to battle in the back row, combining for multiple digs to keep rallies alive.

Despite the Leathernecks' effort, Missouri's front line controlled the net, piling up eight blocks in the set and holding WIU to five kills. The Tigers pulled away to take it 25-9 and go up 2-0 in the match.

Set Three
WIU looked to regroup in the third, and Ulatowski provided a spark with a kill early on. Cruse followed with her sixth kill of the match, while Franklin added another off a set from Bauss. Adair and Kremer combined for a block to slow down Missouri, and Bauss capped her day with her second service ace.

Still, Missouri continued to apply pressure from the service line, finishing with four aces in the frame. The Tigers' offense hit .520 in the set, using a balanced attack to close out the match 25-11.

Up Next
The Leathernecks will start their Ohio Valley Conference games next weekend (Sep. 25-26) facing the Tennessee Tech Golden Eagles