VOLLEYBALL
Razorbacks lose 3rd straight
The University of Arkansas claimed the opening set but then had no answer for outside hitter Mychael Vernon, who led Missouri to a four-set (21-25, 25-18, 25-20, 25-15) win in SEC action Friday evening at Barnhill Arena in Fayetteville.
Vernon, 5-11, hammered a match-high 37 kills and hit .385 to help the Tigers hand the Razorbacks (14-5, 4-3 SEC) their third consecutive loss. Vernon finished with just seven hitting errors on 78 swings. She had 21 kills on 38 swings with only 1 error through the first two sets. Maya Sands finished with a match-high 30 digs and setter Marina Crownover distributed 61 assists.
Outside hitters Aniya Madkin and Olivia Ruy led Arkansas with 12 kills each. The Razorbacks hit worse than .085 over the final two sets with 18 kills and 11 errors on 82 swings compared to the Tigers hitting at a .272 clip over that same span.
Razorback setter Hannah Hogue finished with 34 assists and 12 digs, while Courtney Jackson added a team-high 18 digs. Zoi Evans also contributed a match-best six block assists.
Arkansas travels to Mississippi State for a match at 2 p.m. Central on Sunday.
ASU still perfect at home
Arkansas State University (18-4, 8-2 Sun Belt Conference) moved to 9-0 at home this season with a five-set (25-17, 25-17, 20-25, 23-25, 15-7) victory over Troy (8-12, 3-7) on Friday in Jonesboro.
Kaitlin Whitlock led the Red Wolves with a season-high 22 kills and 18 digs. Erin Madigan had a season-high 51 assists to go with 8 digs and 3 blocks. Sarah Martinez led ASU with 21 digs, while Grace Wiley recorded career highs with 9 digs and 7 blocks.
Harding rallies to victory
Down two sets to one, Harding University (16-7, 9-2 Great American Conference) won the final two sets Friday to win 25-20, 17-25, 19-25, 25-19, 15-13 over Oklahoma Baptist (13-10, 7-4), which saw a six-match winning streak snapped at the Noble Complex in Shawnee, Okla.
Jacey Lambert led the Bisons with 15 kills, while Skyler McKinnon had 13 and Delaney Garner added 12. Ashley Lamkin had seven blocks, Olivia Wiedower added a team-high 52 assists -- her fifth match with 50 or more assists this season -- and Tatum Fouche had a game-high 25 digs.
In other Great American Conference action Friday, Savannah Meyer led Arkansas Tech University (11-13, 4-7) with a game-high 20 kills, Emma Kiser had 44 assists and Jamie Myrick had a game-high 26 digs in a 3-2 (19-25, 25-22, 18-25, 25-23, 15-11) loss to Southern Nazarene (8-16, 4-7) at the Sawyer Center in Bethany, Okla. ... Lauryn Moultrie had a team-high nine kills, McKenna Edwards added 18 assists and Sadie Kabisch had a team-high 27 digs as Southern Arkansas University (9-10, 3-8) lost 25-17, 25-17, 25-21 to Southeastern Oklahoma State (10-11, 6-5) at Bloomer Sullivan Gymnasium in Durant, Okla. ... Emily Adams has nine kills, Courtney Hanson added 27 assists and Kylie Kisgen had 19 digs as Ouachita Baptist University (15-8, 6-5) was swept by GAC leader Southwestern Oklahoma State (15-7, 10-1) at the Pioneer Event Center in Weatherford, Okla. ... Katilyn Steffes led Henderson State University (12-12, 3-8) with 15 kills, Madison Hatt had 21 assists and Kaylon Partain had 17 digs in a four-set loss to Northwestern Oklahoma State (12-10, 6-5) at Percefull Fieldhouse in Alva, Okla.
-- Democrat-Gazette Press Services