WICHITA FALLS, Texas – Drury opened their season on Friday with a doubleheader in the Midwestern St. Invitational. The Panthers swept Southern Arkansas in game one and then lost to Western New Mexico in five sets.
 
The Panthers started the season in blowout fashion, beating Southern Arkansas 3-0. After falling behind in the first set 1-0, Drury won two straight points and did not look back holding the lead until they won 25-16. In set 2, the Muleriders got off to a hot start leading 12-6, prompting a 19-7 run by Drury to win 25-19. Another slow start in the third for the Panthers put them back 4-0 before a kill by Kayli Duncan sparked a turnaround and led to a 25-13 win.
 
Duncan led the way for Drury with 15 kills on a .522 hitting percentage. Lauren Tyler assisted on 33 of the 46 kills the Panthers had.
 
A five-set thriller for the final match of day one led to the Panthers falling 3-2 to Western New Mexico. Drury took a 26-24 win in the first set behind ten service errors from the Mustangs. Western New Mexico bounced back to take a 25-23 win. The third set was won in another close one. Drury won 25-23 with 13 kills and four aces in the set. The Mustangs won the fourth and fifth set in convincing fashion, 25-14 and 15-11.
 
Mailie Chretien led Drury with 14 kills against Western New Mexico. Tyler repeated a big assist game with 31. On the defensive side, Tyler led the Panthers with 21 digs.
 
Drury plays again tomorrow, September 7, against Northwestern Oklahoma State (11 am) and Midwestern State (5 pm).
 
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