The Basics
Score: Central Methodist 3, Evangel 2 (22-25, 25-22, 18-25, 29-27, 9-15)
Records: Evangel (10-2, 7-2), Central Methodist (7-2, 5-2)
Location: Springfield, Mo. | Ashcroft Center

Box Score

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – The Evangel volleyball team saw its six-match win streak come to an end in a five-set, see-saw contest against Central Methodist Tuesday evening at the Ashcroft Center.

Despite fighting off four match points in the fourth set, the Crusaders dropped their first home contest of the season after the Eagles won four straight points to close out the deciding set.

EU rode big performances from Bridget Petersen and Eryn Russell, but hit just 0.090 as a team for the match. Petersen hit 0.273 with a season-high 18 kills, while Russell registered a career-best 46 digs—just one off the Evangel single-game record.

CMU was led by Jordan Wolfe's 15 kills, while Grace Stumbaugh added 14 and Krystal Brauner logged 38 digs.

CMU tallied the final four points of the first game to pull out a hard fought 25-22 decision. Neither club led by more than the final margin, as the Crusaders were limited to a 0.107 attack efficiency, despite five kills from Petersen.

Evangel fought back in another tight set, using an 8-3 run midway through the second game to establish a 17-13 advantage—the largest for either team in the match to that point. The Eagles climbed back into the set by winning six of the next eight points to pull even, but a Ciera Reyes kill sparked a 3-0 EU run that fueled the 25-22 victory for the Crusaders.

The Eagles seized control of the third set behind a balanced attack that saw six different CMU players record at least one kill during a critical 10-4 run that snapped a 6-6 deadlock. The visitors led by as many as eight points in an eventual 25-18 win.

Evangel forced a fifth and deciding set by fighting off four match points before pulling out a 29-27 win. The Crusaders built a 9-3 lead, only to see the Eagles fight back to take a 17-16 lead. The Eagles came up big at the net to climb back into the game, as Anna Wolf recorded four of her seven blocks in the fourth.

Leading 24-22, CMU had a chance to put the match away, but a Petersen kill and an error pulled the Crusaders even. The Eagles saw two more match points slip away, as Petersen and Mackenzie Stoner delivered equalizing kills, before back-to-back CMU errors at the net gave EU the set.

In the fifth, EU closed to within 8-7 after Tori Lowry drove home a winner, but CMU answered by taking seven of the next nine points to finish the match.

UP NEXT
Evangel travels to Park University to open a two-game road swing with a 7 p.m. contest on Nov. 4.

For the latest information on Evangel Athletics, follow the Crusaders on Facebook at Facebook.com/EUAthletics, Twitter (@EUAthletics), or visit EvangelAthletics.com. Fans can also receive updates on the team by downloading the new Evangel Crusaders Gameday App through Google Play. 

–EvangelAthletics.com–