MEMPHIS, Tenn. — Scots volleyball earned their first win of the season after facing the University of Mary Hardin-Baylor Crusaders and the University of Ozarks Eagles today.  In the first match of the day Scots lost out to the Crusaders in three sets (25-13,25-20,25-18), but took the game over Ozarks 3-1 (25-17,18-25,25-15,25-16). In the match against Mary Hardin-Baylor, the Scots fell by set scores of 13-25, 20-25, and 18-25. Lyon finished with 26 kills and a .109 hitting percentage, compared to 41 kills and a .248 mark for Mary Hardin-Baylor.
The Scots played from behind early against Mary Hardin-Baylor, who opened the match with two early kills around an ace for a quick 3-0 lead. Neveah Ghan and
Keeley Beary responded with the Scots' first two kills, narrowing the score to 5-2. A Beary block and a
Chaney McCance ace brought Lyon within 8-4, but Mary Hardin-Baylor widened the gap to 18-5. Despite a late push from the Scots, cutting the score to 22-13 with a four-point run led by
Pascha Wistrand's three kills, they could not recover, losing the set 25-13.
In the second set, Lyon got within 8-6 after a
Reyleigh Twist ace, but Mary Hardin-Baylor pulled ahead 12-7. The Scots rallied with seven straight points, including a block by Beary and Wistrand that tied the score at 12-12. The teams exchanged points until Mary Hardin-Baylor took a lead of 24-17, ultimately closing the set 25-20 after a kill finished it off.
The third set saw the Scots briefly lead 5-2 after kills by
Ryan Russell and
Marae Pounds. However, Mary Hardin-Baylor scored four straight points to take a 9-8 lead. Despite the Scots tying the set several times, they fell behind once again, with Mary Hardin-Baylor finishing the set 25-18 after a series of kills and an ace.
Wistrand led the Scots with seven kills and added two block assists. Beary recorded five kills and a team-high three blocks, surpassing her season average of 2.4. Gardner contributed 13 assists, seven digs, and two service aces, while
Sofia Santis collected a team-high nine digs.
In their second match of the day, Lyon bounced back to defeat Ozarks (AR) 3-1, with set scores of 25-17, 18-25, 25-15, and 25-16. The Scots registered 43 kills and hit .157, while holding Ozarks (AR) to just a .077 attack percentage.
The Scots started strong in the first set, winning seven of the first eight rallies to take a commanding 7-1 lead, aided by a
Ryan Russell kill from
Jenna Good and subsequent kills from
Reyleigh Twist and
Keeley Beary. Ozarks (AR) managed to close the gap to 10-7, but Lyon responded with multiple kills from
Marae Pounds, securing the set 25-17.
In the second set, the Scots traded points but fell behind after Ozarks (AR) scored four straight points, ultimately losing the set 25-18 despite a late push that included a Twist ace.
Lyon quickly regained their momentum in the third set, building a 5-3 edge with key contributions from Russell and Beary. After a series of aces and kills, the Scots dominated the set, finishing it 25-15 with a kill from Harrelson.
The fourth set opened with
Ella Gardner serving the Scots to a 7-0 lead, featuring a Wistrand-Beary block and a Pounds kill. Ozarks (AR) managed to narrow the score to 9-5, but Lyon maintained control, with Russell leading the way and closing the set 25-16 after an Ozarks (AR) attack error.
Russell was the standout player for Lyon, leading the team with 11 kills and hitting an impressive .440 without an error, marking a season-high performance. Twist contributed significantly with team highs of 17 digs and four service aces, while Good achieved a season-high of 25 assists, alongside four digs and a service ace. Beary also made her mark with 10 kills, three block assists, and a total of 11.5 points, surpassing her season average of 8.33.
Scots will be back tomorrow on Saturday, September 12 facing Rhodes College at 10:00 AM.Â
