Point Lookout, MO – The Lady Cats hosted the Pioneers of Wayland Baptist University to kick off homecoming weekend festivities Friday night. Three seniors, Bailey Chamberlain, Brooklyn Crawford, and Mica Chadwell were honored before the game as part of senior night.

The Lady Cats kicked off senior night appropriately with a kill from Bailey Chamberlain. Allison Findley added a kill, and Bri Linehan and Bailey Chamberlain teamed up for a block to give the Lady Cats an early 3-1 lead. After the Pioneers scored six straight to take a 7-3 lead, Abby Chadwell put an end to the run with a kill. A Mica Chadwell ace brought the Lady Cats to within one, and after a Pioneer point, Abby Chadwell came through with another kill. A Christa Duffel kill ended a Pioneer run and the Lady Cats trailed 8-11. Amidst a back-and-forth exchange of points, Allison Findley and Bailey Chamberlain recorded kills to keep the Lady Cats within three. With the Lady Cats now down 11-14, Abby Chadwell provided another kill, and, only down two, the team looked to take control of the set. Bri Linehan recorded two kills, but the Lady Cats couldn’t seem to get over the hump. After an Abby Chadwell kill, the Lady Cats were down 16-18. An Allison Findley kill was met with a Pioneers point, and the Lady Cats took their first timeout, trailing 17-19. Brooklyn Crawford recorded a kill right out of the timeout, and a Bailey Chamberlain block tied the set, 19-19. The Lady Cats would give up four straight, and down 19-23, they took their last timeout of the set. Looking at set point, a Bailey Chamberlain kill kept the Lady Cats alive at 20-24. Bri Linehan inched the team closer with a kill, but the Pioneers would end the set with a kill as the Lady Cats fell 21-25.

After the Pioneers were first on the board with two points to open set two, Bri Linehan put the Lady Cats on the board with a kill. After the Pioneers scored three straight, Abby Chadwell added a kill as the Lady Cats trailed 3-6. After two more Pioneers points, Christa Duffel posted a kill to keep the Lady Cats close, but I Pioneer run forced a timeout for the home team. After a kill by Christa Duffel and a Pioneers attack error, the Lady Cats trailed 6-11. The Lady Cats tried to scratch their way back into the set, and back-to-back kills by Bailey Chamberlain and Bri Linehan set the score at 8-13. Two more Lady Cats points, one of which came from a Kamryn Link service ace, reduced the Lady Cat deficit to three, and after a Pioneers point, Bri Linehan answered with a kill. After a Bailey Chamberlain kill, the Lady Cats found themselves down 12-17, and needing to put together a run. The Lady Cats took their second timeout, trailing 13-20. The Lady Cats could not find any momentum after a Brooklyn Crawford kill, as the Pioneers answered quickly. However, the Lady Cats scored three straight thanks to another Brooklyn Crawford kill, a Jocee Pettyjohn ace, and a Pioneers attack error. The Lady Cats couldn’t make the comeback, however, and the Pioneers took set two, 17-25.

Looking to begin a three-set comeback, the Lady Cats had a lot of work to do. The Pioneers scored three before the Lady Cats would get on the board. Allison Findley recorded a kill and after an exchange of points, a Bri Linehan kill put the Lady Cats within one, 3-4. Bri Linehan recorded another kill to tie the set, and after a Pioneers attack error, the Lady Cats took their first lead. The Lady Cats mounted a 5-0 scoring run capped by a Kamryn Link kill, and the Pioneers took a timeout. A Mica Chadwell ace kept the Lady Cats on top as the Pioneers tried to creep their way back into contention. The Pioneers put together a 3-0 run to regain the lead before a Brooklyn Crawford kill knotted the score, 11-11. The Pioneers continued to apply pressure, but kills by a Bailey Chamberlain, Bri Linehan, and Abby Chadwell kept the Lady Cats close. Trailing 15-17, the Lady Cats needed to put together a run. The Pioneers tacked on a trio of points and the Lady Cats needed a timeout. The Pioneers were first to score out of the timeout, but an Abby Chadwell kill gave the Lady Cats some life. A Maddie Michel ace crept the Lady Cats closer, and a Brooklyn Crawford kill found the Lady Cats only down 18-21. After a Pioneers point, another Brooklyn Crawford kill pushed their score to 19. Crawford wasn’t done on her senior night, as she recorded another kill to keep the match alive and cut the deficit to 20-24. The Lady Cats scored two more and appeared to have momentum. The gap was just too much to overcome as the Pioneers took the final set, 25-22, and the match 3-0.

Bri Linehan led the squad with 11 kills, while Brooklyn Crawford and Abby Chadwell both followed with 7 each. Kamryn Link and Maddie Michel dished out 19 and 16 assists, respectively. Mica Chadwell posted 20 digs and Anna Howe followed with 7.

Following the match, Coach Muckenthaler spoke to the fans and families about her three seniors, Bailey, Brooklyn, and Mica. In reference to the seniors, Muckenthaler said, “They’re selfless, they’re Christ followers, they do the little things the right way, and although others will wear their jerseys next year, nobody will replace Bailey, Brooklyn, and Mica.” Bailey, Brooklyn, and Mica also expressed thanks to their families, coaches, and teammates.

The Lady Cat returned to action Saturday against Oklahoma Panhandle State University in Keeter Gymnasium.