Bolivar, Mo. - The women's volleyball team of Southwest Baptist University concluded the SBU invitational with a record of 1-1 on Saturday. Their loss came at the hands of Missouri Southern (MSSU)  in four sets, but they rebounded with a sweep over Christian Brothers University. These games move SBU to 3-5 on the season.
 
Game 1 vs Missouri Southern Lions (10-25, 16-25, 25-22, 14-25)
The Bearcats started slow against the Lions, allowing six unanswered points to start the first set. Despite their best efforts, SBU was unable to turn it around and dropped set one. The second set started better for Southwest Baptist as they took the early lead 2-0, but the Lions still prevailed to put them a set away from victory.
 
SBU came out determined to not let the third set end with the same fate as the first two, and they took a 15-10 lead early. A six-point run put MSSU back in the lead by one at 15-16. From there, the two teams traded points until the Lions looked as if they were about to pull away again at a score of 19-22. However, a kill by junior Hannah Jackson regained the serve for SBU, and with senior Katie Pogue serving, the Bearcats scored five more unanswered points to win the set. The momentum would not carry over to the fourth set for SBU, as the Lions finished the game out. 
 
As has been a common theme throughout the year, freshman Gabriela Dupree led the team in kills with 12 while adding eight digs. Pogue led the team in assists with 13 and tallied eight digs of her own. Other notable players for the Bearcats were freshman Allie Hawk with ten assists and six digs and freshman Chloe Chafins with 11 digs and five assists.
 
Game 2 vs Christian Brothers University Buccaneers (25-21, 25-22, 25-14)
The two teams began the first set in a close battle tied at four after eight points. Then, an 8-2 run in favor of the Bearcats put the team wearing purple in the lead. SBU never surrendered the lead after going up 5-4, giving the first set to the Bearcats. Early in the 1st set, Dupree reached the first mile marker of her career reaching 100 kills just eight games into her freshman year.
 
Dupree set the tone early in the second set with her kills giving SBU two of their first three points. The set remained close throughout with the teams trading points and small runs all the way to a deadlock at 16. Dupree's seven kills in the set helped SBU pull out in front at the end and claim the set victory. The Bearcats rounded out their dominant sweep after ending the third set by claiming 12 of the last 15 points. This run gave SBU their 11 point margin of victory in the final set.
 
Once again, Dupree led the team in kills with 13. She is now totaling 111 kills on the season through 29 sets played. After 63 kills on the weekend, she is second in the GLVC in total kills and kills per set with 3.83. Dupree also earned a double-double with 12 digs in the match and finished with an impressive hitting percentage of .407. The Bearcat that led the team in hitting percentage, however, was junior Rory Stanley with .750. She also tallied three block assists and a solo block. Hawk led the team in assists with 20 and Chafins led the team in digs with 17. SBU's blockers had a good game as well totaling 14 block assists across the team. Jackson led the way in this stat category with four.
 
The SBU women's volleyball team will return to action on Thursday, September 18 at 6:00 pm in Searcy, Arkansas for a rematch against Harding University. This match will be the first of three at the Harding Invite and will be the Bearcats' last opportunity for games before conference play begins.