University of the Incarnate Word Athletics

CORALVILLE, Iowa -- The University of the Incarnate Word volleyball team fell to Missouri State, 3-1, in the opening match of the Hawkeye Invitational on Thursday afternoon. The Cardinals claimed one set from the Bears, who held UIW to its lowest hitting percentage of the season.

SET ONE: UIW opened the match with a 3-0 run, including two back-to-back aces from Calissa Allison. Attacking errors allowed Missouri State to bring the game back even. The Bears then went on a 4-0 run to take an 11-7 lead and force a UIW timeout. Allison answered a kill out of the break, but Missouri State exploded for a 6-0 run to extend its lead to 17-8. The Cardinals battled to keep pace down the stretch but were unable to overcome the deficit, as the Bears took the opening set, 25-16.

SET TWO: Set two remained close through the opening points, with Missouri State maintaining a slight edge. An attack error by the Bears evened the score at seven, before Missouri State used a 3-0 run to take a 10-7 lead. UIW responded with a kill and block assist from Vanessa Eregie to take its first lead of the set. The two teams traded points until back-to-back kills from Sofia Grimm forced Missouri State to call a timeout. Out of the break, an Eregie kill and solo block from Grimm extended the Cardinals' lead to 23-20. Missouri State called another timeout and cut the deficit to two, but UIW held on to close out the set, 25-21, and even the match at one set apiece.

SET THREE: Much like the second set, the third stayed close until Missouri State went on a 4-0 scoring run to take a 10-5 lead and prompt a Cardinal timeout. A 3-0 run from UIW brought the Cardinals within three, but the Bears responded with a 3-0 run to take a 15-9 lead into the media timeout. Missouri State outscored UIW, 6-4 out of the break to extend their lead to 21-13. Going on a 5-0 run while the Bears were at set point, the Cardinals brought the game within three but could not complete the comeback as Missouri State took the third set, 25-21. 

SET FOUR: Missouri State built an early 6-3 lead in the fourth set, looking to close out the match. After a kill from Victoria Hall, the Cardinals were back within two at 8-6. The Bears responded with a 6-1 run to take a 15-9 lead into the media timeout. UIW began to chip away after back-to-back kills from Tu'ufuli, cutting the lead to 19-13. The Bears continued to break away before back-to-back kills from Teddy-Raye Ewers and a Bears' attack error sparked a 3-0 run, making it 23-19. Missouri State ended the run and secured the victory with a 25-22 fourth-set win. 

Notables:

• Eregie continues to lead the Cardinals in hitting percentage, recording 12 kills and hitting for .435 against the Bears. Defensively, she added four block assists.

• Allison notched her third double-double of the season, just missing the mark of a triple-double. She tied her season-high of 15 digs while dishing out 23 assists and adding seven kills. With 23 assists today, Allison surpasses 1,500 career assists. She added three block assists and three service aces. 

• Victoria Hall was just one dig shy of double-double territory, recording 13 assists and nine digs on the day.

The Cardinals continue the Hawkeye Invitational with two matches against Southern Illinois and Iowa on Friday, Sept. 11. UIW will face the Salukis at 11 a.m. before taking on the Hawkeyes at 6 p.m.