SPRINGFIELD, Mo.—The Drury Panthers opened the 2020-21 season with a 3-1 win over Missouri S&T on Friday night at the O'Reilly Family Event Center. It was the first collegiate volleyball in more than 14 months after the fall season was moved to the spring semester by the Great Lakes Valley Conference due to concerns with the coronavirus pandemic.
 
The Panthers won the first set 25-22, then took a 2-0 lead, winning the second set 25-17. The two teams traded leads late in the third, and the Miners fought off a match point to stay alive with a 28-26 win in the set. Drury dominated the fourth, however, and sealed the match with a 25-14 win.
 
Chloe Rear, a junior from Strafford and transfer from Missouri State, led Drury with 15 kills, 19 assists, six blocks, and two service aces. Claire Taylor nearly had a triple-double in her collegiate debut as the Rogersville native added 10 kills, 15 assists, and nine digs. Junior Kayla Allison had 19 digs for the Panthers.
 
"We've got a lot of new kids and some young ones on the court, so I was proud to see us come out and win that first set," said Drury head coach Jenifer Bahner, who began her seventh season leading the program in Friday's game. "I thought Kayla Allison had a really great night in the Libero jersey. It was good to see her embrace that role in her senior year.
 
"Claire Taylor had a great first match," Bahner continued. "She ran our offense in the 6-2 system, and that's putting a lot on a freshman. But she held her composure and became a go-to player for us on the front row. Chloe Rear also brought us back into the game a couple of times with her serving."
 
Payton Gannaway led Missouri S&T with 15 kills and seven aces. Hannah Merjil also had a game-high 23 assists.
 
Drury is home again tomorrow when they host Southwest Baptist for a 3 pm match at the O'Reilly Family Event Center.
 
 
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