Box Score | Season Stats

JOPLIN, Mo. -- The SBU Bearcats won their school-record sixth MIAA match against the Missouri Southern Lions, 3-2, as senior Brianna Wallace recorded a double-double with 12 digs and 55 assists. Three other Bearcats scored in double figures, led by junior Kylie Heim, with 17.

After falling behind 10-5 in the opening set, Joanna Granzow earned a pair of kills during a 3-1 SBU run that brought the 'Cats to within three. Missouri Southern would take five of the next seven to build up a 16-10 advantage. Five different Bearcats then earned at least one kill when SBU answered with a 9-5 run that made the score 21-19. A trio of kills along with a ball handling error on the 'Cats gave Missouri Southern the opening set win, 25-20.

The Bearcats answered back in the second game, although the Lions held a 15-12 advantage in the middle of the game. Ashley Jurgensmeyer earned her third kill of the set, then SBU took advantage of a pair of attack errors from Southern to tie the match, 15-15. The 'Cats took seven of the next nine points to gain a 22-17 advantage, but Southern would come back with three straight to make it close, 22-20. After an SBU timeout, Granzow got the kill, then another pair of Lion errors gave SBU the set, 25-20.

Missouri Southern took charge early in the third set, and got out to a 12-7 lead after a service ace from Southern's Jeanna Feldmann.  SBU would get a pair of three-point runs, one highlighted by a kill from  Wallace and followed by Alyx Glover's service ace but the Lions would take eight of the final ten points for a comfortable 25-18 win.

On the brink of elimination, and with the Lions sensing the win, the fourth set was battled back and forth the entire way through. Neither team could gain more than a three-point lead, and that happened just once, when SBU was ahead 5-2. With eleven ties throughout the match, SBU had a 23-21 lead before Southern's Amelia Judge got the kill, followed by an SBU attack error. Heim's 16th kill of the night gave SBU a 24-23 advantage, and the Bearcats force the fifth set after a Southern error.

After taking three of the first four points and gaining a 3-1 advantage in the fifth set, Missouri Southern answered back with three straight, giving them a 5-4 edge. The 'Cats then went on their second small run of the set, served up by Glover, going up three, 8-5. The two sides exchanged side outs until SBU held a 12-8 score. The Lions made one final run, taking three straight points to makes the score 12-11, and forcing SBU to use a timeout. Coming out of the break, Missouri Southern gave the ball away with a service error, then gave SBU match point with an attack error. Freshman Britni Reed closed out the match on the following point with her ninth kill of the night.

With her 55 assists, Wallace moves just 11 assists behind Chelsea Kinney for SBU's career assist record. The match was the ninth of the year to go the distance, with SBU holding a 5-4 record in those matches. Along with Wallace, three more Bearcats had double figures in digs. Glover matched Wallace with a team-high 12, as Marcy Greenwade and Iceley Perry each had 11. With the win, SBU moves to 11-20 on the year, and 6-13 in conference play. The 'Cats will wrap up the 2010 season Saturday afternoon, November 13, on the road against Pittsburg State, starting at 2 p.m.