The Basics
Score: Park 3, Evangel 1 (27-29, 21-25, 25-21, 23-25)
Records: Evangel (10-5, 7-5), Park (14-0, 12-0)
Location: Ashcroft Center

Box Score

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – The Evangel volleyball team closed out its 2020 regular season with a nip-and-tuck, four-set (27-29, 21-25, 25-21, 23-25) setback to unbeaten Park Thursday evening at the Ashcroft Center.

Facing a 2-0 deficit, the Crusaders rebounded to take a hard-fought 25-21 decision in the third game, marking just the fourth set the Pirates have dropped in 14 matches this season.

But Park rallied from a 16-11 deficit in the fourth behind the play of All-American Nada Meawad, who recorded nine of her match-high 37 kills in the decisive game. The senior put away winners on four of Park's final five points to help the Pirates overcome EU's 21-19 edge.

The Pirates, who secured a share of the Heart of America Athletic Conference title in their first season in the league, bounced back from a dominant third set from the Crusaders to close out the match. EU won seven of the first eight points in the set, using a pair of Tori Lowry service aces to establish a 7-1 lead.

Meawad nearly brought Park back from a 22-11 hole, registering 10 kills in the third, before Lowry delivered the deciding blow after the Pirates had squashed four-straight set points to pull to within 24-21.

Park pulled out a pair of close calls in the first and second stanzas to establish its two-set lead, erasing an Evangel set point at 27-26 before winning the final three points of the first game, then wiping out a 19-17 EU advantage in the second with an 8-2 run to close out the set.

Meawad hit 0.333 for the match, adding 19 digs to an impressive stat line. Noura Meawad added 13 kills and five blocks for the Pirates.

Ciera Reyes turned in a big night for Evangel, logging 14 kills while hitting 0.324. Lowry led the Crusaders with 16 kills to go along with 11 digs, and Bridget Petersen added 12 kills and three blocks.

UP NEXT

The Crusaders will turn their attention to the Heart Conference Tournament, which was postponed until the spring semester earlier this week by the Heart's Council of Presidents (COP).

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 GamedayApp through Google Play. 

—EvangelAthletics.com—