Point Lookout, MO – After a loss to the Rams of Texas Wesleyan University on Friday, the Lady Cats welcomed the Nelson University Lions in a Saturday match.

The Lady Cats began the scoring in set one, and a Bailey Chamberlain kill gave the Lady Cats a 2-1 lead to start. After giving up seven Lions points, the Lady Cats found themselves down 2-9 before they took their first timeout. A Bri Linehan kill put another point in the Lady Cat column, but the Lions continued to score as the Lady Cats took their second timeout down 3-15. A Lions’ service ace gave the Lady Cats another point, but the Lions continued to run away with the set. Brooklyn Crawford recorded a kill, and the Lady Cats tacked on another point to make the score 6-23. A block by Brooklyn Crawford and Christa Duffel added to the Lady Cats score. The Lady Cats continued to show some fight as a long rally was concluded by a Brooklyn Crawford kill, but the Lions responded to win the set, 25-8.

Grace Hancock led off the second set with a kill to put the Lady Cats on the board first. Bri Linehan added a kill to give the Lady Cats a 2-1 lead. Another Lady Cat point was followed by two Lion points and the set was tied, 3-3. A Brooklyn Crawford and Bri Linehan block tied the set 4-4, and the teams continued to fight back and forth as Christa Duffel and Brooklyn Crawford posted another block. An Abby Chadwell kill put the score at 6-7. After the Lady Cats scored two straight they were tied 8-8, and the teams both put up a point of their own. A Christa Duffel kill gave the Lady Cats the 10-9 lead and Bailey Chamberlain and Bri Linehan posted a block to add to the score. Christa Duffel and Brooklyn Crawford both recorded kills and the Lady Cats were up 13-11. Another Christa Duffel kill forced the Lions’ first timeout of the match. The Lady Cats were the first to score out of the timeout and they had some life with a four-point lead. The Lions, however, took the lead back at 17-15, and the Lady Cats took their first timeout to regroup. Bri Linehan recorded a kill to get the Lady Cats back in the scoring column and they only trailed by one. After a couple Lions points, Brooklyn Crawford recorded a kill to make the score 17-20. Yet another Crawford kill kept the Lady Cats within three. The Lady Cats were down 19-23, and a Grace Hancock kill followed by a Lions net violation pushed the score to 21-23. Bailey Chamberlain got up for a block and the Lady Cats were within one point. A Lions attack error had the score knotted at 23-23 and a Grace Hancock kill put them one point away from a set 2 win. The Lions, however, scored a point and the Lady Cats called their final timeout tied 24-24. The Lady Cats gave up two straight points and lost a hard-fought set, 24-26.

After a strong answer in set two, the Lady Cats hoped to extend the match with a set three victory. The Lions were the first to score in the third set, putting up four straight before a Bailey Chamberlain kill put the Lady Cats on the board. A Bri Linehan kill put the score at 3-6 and an Abby Chadwell kill kept the Lady Cats in the set, 5-9. Now down 7-12, the Lady Cats needed to go on a run to crawl back into the set, and Bailey Chamberlain recorded a block to make it 8-12. The Lions scored three more before Christa Duffel posted a kill. After two impressive digs by Jocee Pettyjohn in a great rally, the Lions took the point. The Lady Cats called their first timeout, down 9-17. Out of the timeout, kills by Bri Linehan kill and Abby Chadwell gave the Lady Cats some life. The Lions, however, responded and had the lead 22-11. The Lady Cats were facing match point, down 13-24, and the Lions scored the final point to win in 25-13.

Bri Linehan and Brooklyn Crawford both led the team with 6 kills each. Maddie Michel recorded 10 assists, and Abby Chadwell provided 9. Emma Godwin led the team with 8 digs and Mica Chadwell followed with 7.

The Lady Cats will return to action Friday, October 25 against Mid-America Christian University in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.