The Basics

Match 1: Columbia 3, Evangel 1 | Game Box

Match 2: Tabor 3, Evangel 1 | Game Box

Records: Evangel (1-1); Columbia (5-0), Tabor (2-5)

Site: Southwell Gym

Columbia, Mo. – The Evangel volleyball team dropped a pair of matches on the second day of the Hampton Inn Classic Saturday, dropping a four-set decision to Columbia College (3-1) and Tabor (3-1).

Columbia College emerged victorious in a see-saw battle that saw the lead exchange hands 17 times over the first two sets.

The third and fourth sets followed a similar pattern, with Evangel whittling a 10-point deficit down to 21-20 in the late stages. The effort would not be enough for EU as Columbia again recorded a series of key kills to claim the fourth and final set, 25-21.

Highlights

● Tori Lowry led Evangel in kills with 15

● Eryn Russell finished with 26 digs

● Columbia's Sidney Branson led all attackers with 16 kills

● The Cougars won the advantage in blocks 11-4

● Jorden Stacey finished with a double-double of 18 assists and 10 digs

In the second match of the day, Evangel struggled to generate a consistent offensive attack against Tabor, dropping the match in four sets.

Evangel fell behind early and never fully recovered from a 4-0 opening lead for Tabor, losing 25-20. It looked as if the momentum had shifted in the second set when EU fought back to claim the set and even the match.

But, Tabor quickly regrouped and came out firing on all cylinders, never losing the lead in the third and fourth sets to finish off the 3-1 decision.

Daisy Eklund and Tori Lowry were both named to the Hampton Inn Classic All-Tournament Team. Eklund finished with weekend with 47 kills and 36 digs, while Lowry finished with 41 kills and 59 digs.

"We have a great team that just didn't execute well this weekend. We've got a week to recover and work on the areas we need to get better at," head coach Mary Whitehead stated. "We knew we'd get every team's best and that's exactly what happened today. It's time to find our best to counter with."

Highlights

● Daisy Eklund led EU in kills with 15

● Stacey finished with a team-high 23 assists

● Tabor finished with a 13-2 advantage in blocks

● Lowry and Russell both finished with double-digit dig totals (11 and 18, respectively) for EU

Up Next

Evangel will take on Briar Cliff and William Jessup next Friday (Sept. 3) in the CSM Labor Day Tournament at Sioux City, Iowa.

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