SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – Drury volleyball celebrated its senior class in style Saturday with a 3-1 (26-24, 25-18, 24-26, 25-14) victory over Missouri S&T at O'Reilly Family Event Center. 

The Panthers not only got big afternoons from its group of veterans playing their final home contest, but also from a deep supporting cast. Senior Ella Rademaker led the way with 20 kills and four blocks, but seven Panthers in all recorded at least five kills in the win, which stopped a three-match skid.

Drury (15-12, 5-6 GLVC) pulled out a close 26-24 decision in the opening set, then cruised to a decisive win in the second, leading from start to finish. After the Miners (9-16, 4-7 GLVC) claimed a two-point decision to stave off defeat in the third, the Panthers put the finishing touches on their 15th win of the season with another wire-to-wire victory in a decisive 25-14 fourth set.

HOW IT HAPPENED

• Drury outlasted the Miners in a tight opening set, with the two clubs combining for 11 ties and seven lead changes.
• The Panthers hit a match-high .258, with Mailie Chretien pacing the offense with four kills, while Skylar Hilton recorded four of her seven blocks in the opening stanza.
• The tipping point came midway through the set, when DU used an 8-4 scoring spurt to take control; three of Chretien's kills in the set came during that critical run which propelled the Panthers to a two-point decision.
• DU built an early advantage in the second by winning the first six points of the set; Rademaker and Emerson Grossman each accounted for a pair of kills during the run, before the Panthers extended their lead to as many as 10 points behind a balanced attack, led by Rademaker's four kills and three blocks.
• The Panthers enjoyed another early lead in the third, but the Miners bounced back from a two-point deficit with a 4-0 run to seize a 19-17 lead.
• Drury clawed its way back to a 24-24 deadlock, but the Miners won the final two points to keep their hopes alive, despite nine kills from Rademaker in the third.
• The Panthers quickly extinguished the visitors' prospects for a win, claiming the first five points of the fourth set en route to another big lead; DU used a 10-3 scoring spurt to put the set -- and match -- out of reach.
• Drury extended the margin to as many as 12 points down the stretch before sealing the victory on a Chretien kill. 

NOTABLES

• Drury used a strong defensive effort that limited the Miners to .117 hitting while registering 22 block assists and four solos to notch their first home victory since Oct. 21.
• Rademaker recorded her 10th-straight double-digit kill total dating back to Oct. 17.
• After turning in a career-high 29 digs for the Panthers in Friday's match vs. Maryville, Payton Mitchell logged 25 more in Saturday's contest.
• Hilton recorded seven blocks to top the 100-mark for the season with 102.
• Phoebe Riddle matched Hilton with seven blocks, just one off of her career best (8 vs. McKendree on Oct. 25).
• Lauren Tyler hiked her career assist total to 2,447, which ranks eighth on the Panthers' all-time list.
• Grossman tallied five kills and a career-best four blocks.
• Jacy Bray recorded her eighth double-double of the season with 18 assists and 11 digs.
• Drury concluded its 2025 home season with a 7-5 mark at O'Reilly Family Event Center.

UP NEXT
Drury will embark on its final GLVC road trip next weekend, when they take on Lewis (Nov. 14) in Romeoville, Ill., as well as Indianapolis (Nov. 15) to conclude the regular season.

For all the latest information on Drury volleyball, visit drurypanthers.com. For up-to-the-minute updates, follow the Panthers on X and Instagram.

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