SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – Maryville overcame an early deficit to win three consecutive sets (25-22, 22-25, 21-25, 24-26) and edge Drury volleyball in a tightly-contested Great Lakes Valley Conference matchup that featured 46 ties and 21 lead changes (18-25, 23-25, 27-25, 23-25) Friday evening at O'Reilly Family Event Center.

Ella Rademaker delivered a 24-kill effort to lead the Panthers, including seven kills in an opening-set win that handed the home club an early lead. But the Saints (13-11, 6-4 GLVC) responded by overcoming an early DU lead in the second to pull even, then pulled out close wins in the third and fourth sets as well to finish off the 3-1 victory.

Maryville limited the Panthers (14-12, 4-6 GLVC) to .178 hitting for the match, paced by a defense that featured four different players topping the 20-dig mark on the night. Ella Brinkmann turned in 21 kills and 20 digs to lead a contingent of four Saints who logged double-doubles. 

HOW IT HAPPENED

• Drury used a pair of 4-1 scoring runs to seize control of a back-and-forth first set, as Rademaker paced the Panther attack with seven kills.
• With Maryville leading by a point, DU's first run was fueled by service aces from Rademaker and Mary Henry, ultimately handing the Panthers a 17-15 lead.
• After the Saints won the ensuing two points to tie things up, the Panthers went back to work, as Mailie Chretien logged a kill and combined with Skylar Hilton on a block to spark another run.
• Another Chretien kill followed by a block from Emerson Grossman and Hilton gave DU a 21-18 edge.
• Drury pulled away down the stretch, as three Rademaker kills powered the 25-22 win for the Panthers.
• The Panthers carried that momentum to the second stanza, winning five of the first six points to establish an early cushion.
• Maryville battled back behind a pair of service aces from Olivia Klump to win four straight points and pull even at 8-8.
• Neither club led by more than two points until the Saints snapped a 22-22 deadlock with three straight points to notch the 25-22 decision.
• Leslie Longanbach started the run with a kill, before Lynsey Batson finished it with a kill of her own and the set-clinching block.
• Both clubs bounced back from early deficits in the third, with the Saints taking a 9-6 lead behind a pair of Emma Hoing kills, before the Panthers answered 4-1 run to pull even at 13-13.
• DU held a 20-18 advantage when the Saints went on a 3-0 run to kick off a stretch that would see the visitors outscore the Panthers 7-1 down the stretch to take a two sets-to-one lead (25-21).
• In the fourth, Drury used a 3-0 spurt powered by a pair of Chretien kills to take its largest lead of the set at 10-7.
• But once again the Saints delivered a response, this time claiming 10 of the next 15 points to gain a 17-15 advantage.
• Drury fought back to draw even once more at 22-22, then twice taking a one-point lead, the last coming on a combined Phoebe Riddle-Rademaker block to hand the Panthers a set point at 24-23.
• Maryville answered one final time, reeling of three consecutive points on kills from Hoing and Ella Domian to wrap up the set (26-24) and the victory.

NOTABLES

• Rademaker recorded her ninth-straight double-digit kill total dating back to Oct. 17.
• Payton Mitchell registered a match and career-high 29 digs for the Panthers.
• Chretien logged her team-leading 10th double-double of the season with her 15 kills and 26 digs.
• Tyler recorded her sixth double-double of the year, finishing with 30 assists and 11 digs.
• She hiked her career assist total to 2,422, which ranks eighth on the Panthers' all-time list.
• Hilton recorded five blocks to push her season total to 95.
• Drury fell to 6-5 at O'Reilly Family Event Center this season with its fourth-straight home loss.

UP NEXT
The Panthers will honor their six seniors prior to Saturday's home finale with Missouri S&T, which is slated for a 3 p.m. start.

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