The Valpo volleyball team split a pair of matches on its first day of competition at the Leatherneck Classic Friday in Macomb, Ill., battling with #22 Missouri before falling to the Tigers by a 3-1 (25-18, 24-26, 25-23, 25-16) final and bouncing back in the nightcap with a 3-0 (25-20, 25-17, 25-16) sweep of host Western Illinois. Senior Emma Hickey (Granger, Ind./Penn) moved into third place in program history in career digs in the second match of the day.
 
How It Happened – Missouri

• Valpo got off to a dream start against its nationally-ranked opponent with the match's first four points, but Mizzou came back to tie things up at 11-11. After the Beacons scored two in a row to take a 13-11 lead, the Tigers reeled off a 9-0 run to take control of the opener.
• A back-and-forth second set saw the Beacons pull out to a 21-17 lead late. Mizzou scored the next four in a row to even the set, and after back-to-back Valpo points, the Tigers put together three points in a row to earn set point at 24-23. But Sam Warren (Kentland, Ind./South Newton) came up with a key kill to force extra points, and consecutive errors by Mizzou evened the match at one set apiece.
• Another back-and-forth frame ensued in the third. The Beacons held an 18-17 edge approaching the late stages before the Tigers scored seven of the next nine points to earn set point at 24-20. Valpo was able to hold off three set point chances for Mizzou, but came up one point shy of forcing extra points.
• Missouri used an early 6-1 run in set four to gain separation and Valpo was unable to get closer than two points the rest of the way.

 
How It Happened – WIU

• Valpo used a 9-2 run mid-set in the opening set — featuring consecutive service aces from Keira Lucas (Brazil, Ind./Northview) — to turn a 14-12 deficit into a 21-16 lead and kept the Leathernecks at bay from there.
• Another run on Lucas' serve was key in the second set, this one coming early in the set and featuring two more service aces from the rookie. All told, it was an 8-0 run to erase an early 3-0 deficit, and the Beacons led the rest of the way in going up 2-0 in the match.
• Valpo led start-to-finish in the final frame of the day, as Addy Kois (Osceola, Ind./Penn) delivered a pair of service aces in a 5-0 run to open the set.

 
Inside the Matches

• 17 of Valpo's 18 players appeared in the evening sweep of the hosts, as the Beacons rotated liberally, with only three hitters appearing in all three sets.
• With her eighth dig against WIU, Hickey posted the 2,310^th dig of her collegiate career, moving past former Valpo standout libero Brittany Malicoat for third place in program history.
• After pacing the Beacons in the day's first match with 24 digs, Hickey was topped by a teammate for the first time all season in the nightcap. The senior, who ceded libero duties for much of the third set, tallied 12 digs against WIU, surpassed by Lucas, who recorded 14 digs — a season-best — to go with four service aces.
• Warren and Jordyn Gove (Amarillo, Texas/Randall) tied for team-high honors in the win over the Leathernecks with seven kills apiece, Warren doing so on .353 hitting.
• Mara Thomas (Bogart, Ga./Athens Academy) paced Valpo in the sweep with 24 assists.
• The Beacons held WIU to .117 hitting in the nightcap.
• In the first match of the tournament, Lilly Merk (Terre Haute, Ind./Terre Haute South Vigo) surpassed her career high with a team-best 13 kills on .435 hitting.
• Both of Valpo's middles were strong offensively against the nationally-ranked Tigers, as Jessica Pickett (Carmel, Ind./Carmel) delivered nine kills on .450 hitting.
• Kois paced the Beacons with 24 assists against Mizzou.
• Valpo held a 56-54 advantage in kills over the Tigers, but attack errors were the difference, as the Beacons committed 33 — 18 of which were Mizzou blocks — and hit just .135 to the Tigers' .259.

 
Next Up
Valpo (8-4) closes out the Leatherneck Classic on Saturday with a 1 p.m. match against Chicago State.