College of the Ozarks (13-7) lost 3-0 to Evangel (14-10) on Tuesday, at AG Financial Arena in Springfield. Evangel won the sets 25-18, 25-15 and 25-22.

The Lady Cats took a 5-4 first-set lead when Cora Rutledge finished a three-point run with a kill. After Evangel moved ahead 16-10, two Brinley Watson kills helped the Lady Cats score three straight points to cut the deficit to three. Evangel answered with two points. Consecutive Kalli Noell kills, both assisted by Kamryn Link, later pulled the Lady Cats within 23-18 before Evangel closed the set on a Charlotte Hawkins kill.

Audrey Riley supplied five kills in the second set, but the Lady Cats struggled to sustain their attack, finishing with 10 kills and 10 attack errors. Riley's fourth kill trimmed Evangel's lead to 14-7 before the hosts scored four straight points. Cienna Turner delivered the kill that ended the set and put Evangel ahead 2-0.

The Lady Cats mounted their strongest challenge in the third set, turning a 12-8 deficit into a 14-12 lead with six consecutive points. Noell had two kills during the run, Link added a kill and Riley and Noell combined for a block that tied the score at 12-12 and prompted an Evangel timeout. Anna Howe followed with the Lady Cats' only ace, and Watson capped the rally with a kill. Two Anna Brunner kills later helped fuel a four-point run that put the Lady Cats ahead 20-17.

The Lady Cats still led 22-19 before Evangel scored the final six points. Five consecutive Ozarks attack errors, including a Hawkins solo block that tied the set at 22-22, brought Evangel to match point. Turner then finished the sweep with a kill. Evangel hit .286 to the Lady Cats' .057 and held an 11-3 advantage in team blocks.

Riley led the Lady Cats with eight kills and contributed 11 assists and six digs. Noell finished with seven kills and two block assists, while Watson added six kills and six digs. Link paced the team with 12 assists and added seven digs. Brunner and Rutledge supplied four kills apiece, and McKenna McClure had three. Howe and Emma Godwin each recorded 11 digs to lead a defense that finished with 52. The Lady Cats look to bounce back in a big SAC weekend at home on Friday at 6:00 p.m. vs. Nelson.