Springfield, MO. -  The SBU volleyball team took on their rivals Drury University this afternoon. For the first time in 14 years the Bearcats took down the Panthers winning the match 3-2. That moves SBU to 9-6 (2-1 GLVC) on the season.
 
"Saturday against Drury the Bearcats continued to play aggressive volleyball throughout the match to keep the pressure on the Panthers. Both wins this weekend included contributions from every active member of the team!" Head Coach James Hanger said.
 
After dropping the first set, the Bearcats went on to control both sets two and three to take a 2-1 lead. The Panthers didn't give up and forced a high energy 5^th set between the two rivals. The Bearcats were on the brink of a loss trailing 13-14, with Sophomore libero Aleena Peterson as the server. Behind two Ashley Lasher kills, an ace by Peterson, and many other spectacular plays by the Bearcats, they scored three straight points to take the victory.
 
"This team has so much heart! So much determination!" Said Peterson, "It came down to a final set, Drury had match point and all we could think about was how long it had been since SBU beat Drury in conference play. It was 14 years in the making, but we won. I was confident that I could serve us out from behind but those were three nail biting points. I'm proud of how the team kept our composure."
 
Lasher led the team in kills with 12 with Junior Loran Pritchett right behind her with 11. Pritchett also notched the Bearcats second triple-double in as many days with 11 assists and 12 digs. Peterson led the team in digs with 18 and had two serving aces.
 
"It feels so satisfying to take down the Panthers, to see our hard work paying off especially against a rival, and to work together as a team to get it done!" Pritchett said, "We had all out hustle on defense, and it definitely changed the end of the game."
 
The Bearcats will return to Bolivar for three straight home matches beginning Friday September 30^th. They will take on Missouri S&T with a scheduled start time of 6:00 PM.