PITTSBURG, Kan.– Drury played two games on Friday in the Gorilla Classic hosted by Pittsburg State and dropped a hard-fought five-set match to the host team, then fell in four sets to Arkansas-Ft. Smith in Pittsburg, Kansas.
 
The Panthers started the day losing a heart-breaker to the host Gorillas. Drury took the opening set 25-22, then, after losing the second 25-12, won the third set 25-20. They jumped out to a 10-2 lead in the fourth, but Pittsburg State rallied to force a fifth set, 25-20. The Panthers had two match points in the fifth, but the Gorillas stayed alive and prevailed 18-16.
 
Juliana Squire led Drury with 16 kills, two service aces, and 22 digs. Kayli Duncan added 12 kills and five blocks, while Lexi Basler added a career-high 30 digs. Lauren Tyler had a team-high 38 assists.
 
The Gorillas had three players with double-digits in kills as Ivy Fink and Janae Thurston had 12 apiece and Seville Gates had 10.
 
After the earlier two-hour and twenty-minute marathon, the Panthers took the court hours later to take on Arkansas-Ft. Smith. The Lions won the first two sets, but Drury responded to win the third, 25-22. Ark.-Ft. Smith came alive in the fourth, though, and controlled the set to win 25-10.
 
Salma Lewis had a season-high 15 kills to lead Drury, while freshman Reagan Tunnell had a dozen kills in three sets. Squire added 11 kills and 26 digs.
 
Caelyn Gunn led the Lions with 14 kills and Chloe Price contributed 39 assists.
 
Ark.-Ft. Smith improved to 5-1, while Pittsburg State went to 2-3. Drury ended the day at 0-6.
 
The tournament continues on Saturday and the Panthers will face 11^th ranked Southwest Minnesota State at 9 a.m., then will face Northwest Oklahoma State at 4:30 p.m. in Pittsburg, Kansas. 
 
 
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