Maryville University Athletics

LEBANON, Ill. – Maryville University volleyball closed out the McKendree Invitational with a 25-21, 21-25, 25-16, 26-17 win over Ouachita Baptist but fell in five versus Montevallo, 23-25, 25-21, 13-25, 25-18, 7-15. Emma Keele had a double-double against OBU with 16 kills and 15 digs, while Mallory Sell picked up 28 digs. Against the Falcons, Keele recorded another double-double on 19 kills and 11 digs.
 
Ouachita Baptist Recap
The Saints reeled off six straight points early in the first set to grab a lead. Tessa Arnott sparked the run with two straight kills. An Emma Keele ace put the margin at 6-3. Up 13-11, Maryville tallied four of the next five points to take command. Another kill by Arnott made it 17-12. After OBU scored, the Saints tacked on another 4-0 spree. Natalie Frazier had a kill and Hailey Levinson served two aces to key the run as the Saints eventually took a 25-21 decision.
 
The teams traded the lead in set two but OBU went on a 5-0 run. The Saints chipped away at the deficit but never drew even as the match was tied at 1-1. In the third, the Saints used a 4-0 surge to build an early advantage. Arnott had a kill, and Frazier and Leslie Longanbach teamed up on a block. Longanbach put down a kill, and OBU committed an error. The Tigers got to within 8-5 but the Saints tallied four of the next five. Keele keyed the outburst with three kills as the Saints went up 12-6. Still ahead 14-11, Maryville surged ahead on the strength of a 6-1 surge. Longanbach punctuated the run with back-to-back aces. The margin never sank below seven as the Saints went up 2-1.
 
The final set was close early and featured nine ties. Still deadlocked at 16-16, the Saints ran off a crucial 6-0 run. Keele had three kills to highlight the run as the Saints took a 22-16 cushion. OBU scored but the Saints closed the match with three straight points. Keele sandwiched a pair of kills around an OBU error as the Saints claimed their first win of the season.
 
Statistical Leaders
Kills: Emma Keele - 16
Hitting Percentage: Emma Keele - .333
Assists: Taylor Reynolds - 21
Service Aces: Leslie Longanbach and Mallory Sell  - 3
Digs: Mallory Sell - 28
Blocks: Leslie Longanbach - 4
 
Records
Maryville: 1-2
Ouachita Baptist: 0-3
 
Montevallo Recap
The Saints fell behind to open the match and did not draw even until a kill by Keele tied the score at 11-all. Maryville took its first lead of the set at 13-12 on a finish by Frazier. The Saints still were leading at 18-17 until the Falcons scored four straight. The Saints saved a pair of set points on a Montevallo error and a Cami Kohmetscher ace but the Falcons held on to take set one.
 
The second set saw the Saints down 10-9 but jumped ahead on the basis of five straight points. Longanbach and Keele had kills before Mallory Sell served consecutive aces. A Joanna Gillen kill gave the Saints a 14-10 edge. Later, a finish by Keele built a 17-12 margin. Montevallo tied the score at 19-19 until Witthaus put down consecutive kills. Frazier finished back-to-back kills, and another Sell gave the Saints set point which was converted at 25-21. Montevallo had its best hitting percentage in the third set and used a steady run to take the third set.
 
In the fourth, the Saints took a narrow lead and maintained that edge. The lead was 16-13 when Levinson drilled down a kill, and Frazier served up an ace. The Falcons scored but Keele and Emma Hoing notched consecutive kills for a 20-14 advantage. Montevallo got to within 21-17 but the Saints scored three straight and forced a deciding fifth set.
 
Keele and Frazier had kills to stake the Saints to a quick lead but the Falcons inched ahead. Hailey Levinson put down a kill to draw the Saints to 5-4. Montevallo stayed ahead, and Longanbach found the range to trim the gap to 8-6. However, the Falcons scored five straight as the Saints fell into an 13-6 deficit. Witthaus spun in a kill but that would prove to be the last point as Montevallo closed out the win.
 
Statistical Leaders
Kills: Emma Keele - 19
Hitting Percentage: Emma Keele - .310
Assists: Taylor Langland - 23
Service Aces: Mallory Sell - 4
Digs: Mallory Sell - 25
Blocks: Tessa Arnott and Joanna Gillen - 1
 
Records
Maryville: 1-3
Montevallo: 3-1
 
WHAT'S UP NEXT:
The Saints head to Florida to take part in a tournament hosted by Flagler College Sept. 4-5.