Springfield, MO – After a conference road sweep over the weekend, the Lady Cats journeyed north to face the nearby Valor of Evangel University. With a packed gym and a good number of fans for both teams in attendance, the Lady Cats were looking to avenge an earlier loss to the Valor.

After a quick two points by Evangel, Bri Linehan got the Lady Cats on the board with a kill. Bailey Chamberlain recorded a kill to take the lead, 4-3, but the Valor responded with a kill to tie the score again. As the Lady Cats and the Valor went back-and-forth, Brooklyn Crawford recorded two kills to return the lead to the Lady Cats, this time 6-5. The Valor, however, continued to answer, and with the score tied at 6-6, Evangel scored four straight to take the biggest lead of the set at 10-6. A Bailey Chamberlain kill ended the Valor run, and with the Lady Cats down 8-11, Chamberlain tacked on another kill after an extended rally. Down 11-14, Kamryn Link recorded a kill that was quickly answered by a Valor kill. A Christa Duffel kill kept the Lady Cats close at 12-15, as they hoped to close the gap. The teams continued to exchange points, and the Lady Cats cut their deficit to two. A Brooklyn Crawford and Abby Chadwell block gave the Lady Cats some energy as they cut the gap t0 15-16. They weren’t done with just one block, as they turned around and did it again to force a Valor timeout with the score now tied. The Lady Cats came out of the timeout fired up and took their first lead of the set, 17-16. Allison Findley recorded a kill to extend the Lady Cats’ lead to 18-16, but the Valor finally put an end to the Lady Cats’ 5-0 run. Brooklyn Crawford, however, recorded a kill to keep the lead, the score now sitting at 19-17. The Valor tied the set with a couple kills then took the lead 21-20, forcing the Lady Cats to take their first timeout. The Lady Cats were looking to come back late in the set, and down 21-24, Bailey Chamberlain recorded a kill to keep the set going. A Valor kill however, gave Evangel the set one win.

The Lady Cats were looking to bounce back and tie the match with a set two win. A Bailey Chamberlain kill started the Lady Cat offense, but a 5-0 scoring run from the Valor forced a Lady Cat timeout while down 2-7. After the timeout, the Valor recorded a block and a kill to extend their lead, 11-5. Allison Findley ended the run with a kill, and with the Lady Cats down 7-13, they looked to fight their way back. After a Valor net violation, the Lady Cats trailed 9-14. After an exchange of points, the Lady Cats were still down five, but a Brooklyn Crawford and Christa Duffel block put the score to 13-17. The Lady Cats continued to chip away, and only down 15-18, a Valor attack error cut the Lady Cat deficit to two. After a couple Valor points, the Lady Cats took their final timeout, down 16-20. A Valor kill out of the timeout gave them a 21-16 lead, and they continued to pull away until a Bailey Chamberlain kill, followed by a block, put the score at 19-24. The Valor, however, put set two away on the next serve, 25-19.

Looking to make a comeback, the Lady Cats were the first on the board in set three, scoring two straight. The Valor responded with two of their own, but a Bailey Chamberlain kill gave the Lady Cats the lead again. Brooklyn Crawford recorded a kill to take the lead, 4-2. Evangel answered and the Lady Cats soon found themselves in a hole, down 5-8. Crawford recorded another kill and Bailey Chamberlain and Allison Findley teamed up for a block to give the Lady Cats some momentum. Abby Chadwell recorded a kill to keep the score close at 9-10. An Emma Godwin back row attack kill followed by a block from Bri Linehan and Bailey Chamberlain tied the set 11-11. The Lady Cats gave up two points and found themselves back in a deficit until Bri Linehan recorded a pair of kills to tie it back up at 13-13. The Valor scored two again, but a Christa Duffel Kill kept the score close. Evangel continued to respond to the Lady Cat challenges as the set intensified down the stretch. A Valor service error followed by an Emma Godwin ace tied the set, 16-16. Quick points by the home team forced a Lady Cat timeout down 17-19. After the timeout, the teams exchanged points, and the Lady Cats looked to go on a run as Kamryn Link served an ace. The Valor, however, scored two straight, forcing the Lady Cats to take their last timeout of the set down 19-22. A Bri Linehan kill in response to a Valor point put the Lady Cats within two, but a Valor kill put the score at match point, 24-21. Another Valor kill ended the match as the Lady Cats fell in set three, 21-25.

Brooklyn Crawford led the offensive attack with eight kills and Bailey Chamberlain added seven. Kamryn Link dished out 16 assists to go with 12 by Maddie Michel, and Mica Chadwell posted 25 digs in her defensive effort.

The Lady Cats will return to action at the Keeter gymnasium on Friday, October 4 against Central Christian College.