Drury University Athletics

HAMMOND, Ind. – Drury volleyball saw its three-match win streak come to an end with a hard-fought five-set loss to Hillsdale College in the Panthers' opening contest of the Midwest Region Crossover Friday afternoon at Hammond Sportsplex.

Hillsdale (10-9) overcame a 10-point Drury advantage to claim the opening set, then rallied from a two sets-to-one deficit to pull out the victory in a match that featured 29 ties and 10 lead changes. Chaney Barth's 16 kills paced DU's attack, while Gracie Kimrey and Skylar Hilton each added 14 kills, and Jacy Bray registered a career-high 51 assists as part of her 10th double-double of the season.

The Chargers hit .306 as a team, with Taylor Brownsword pacing the offense with 20 kills, while Taylor Cook (18 kills) and Ellie Fles (15 kills) each hit .444 or better for Hillsdale.
 

HOW IT HAPPENED

• Drury built a 20-10 cushion behind the play of Hilton and Kimrey, who combined for 12 first-set kills.
• The Panthers trailed 8-3 before reeling off a 17-2 run to seize control; Hilton recorded five of her six kills during the outburst, before Kimrey added three kills to punctuate the run.
• However, Hillsdale battled back with a 17-5 run to close the set, winning nine of the final 10 points to pull out a 27-25 decision.
• Brownsword led the way with seven kills, including four in a row late to help wipe out the Drury advantage.
• The Panthers claimed control of a seesaw second set with a 5-0 spurt, fueled by kills from four different attackers, as well as a Jenna LaBarge service ace.
• After a Hilton kill handed DU a 24-20 lead and three set points,the Chargers won two straight points to trim the margin in half, before a service error ended their comeback bid for a 25-22 Panthers win.
• It would be Drury's turn to erase a late deficit in the third set, after the Chargers took control of a 22-19 advantage.
• Bray, who added six kills, four blocks and 15 digs, delivered a pair of key points down the stretch, starting DU's 6-1 run with a kill before her service ace knotted the score at 22-22.
• Hillsdale briefly reclaimed the upper hand on a Molly Kennedy kill, but DU won the next three points, finishing off the 25-23 decision on a Taylor Wood kill.
• The Chargers raced to an early 7-2 cushion in the fourth set, powered by three Cook kills.
• Drury fought back behind three early Hilton kills, pulling to within 11-10.
• But the Chargers won the next five points on a series of Panther attack errors, stretching their advantage to six points.
• DU would get no closer than than the rest of the way, as two more Cook kills down the stretch paved the way to a 25-16 Hillsdale win that evened the match at two sets apiece.
• The deciding set would prove to be another close battle, with Hillsdale creating the first bit of separation with its 3-0 run, thanks to kills by Cook and Brownsword.
• Drury responded by claiming four of the next five points to even things up at 7-7 on Bray's sixth kill.
• But Hillsdale answered with three straight points of its own, then stretched the margin to 13-9 on Marcelina Gorny's third kill of the set.
• Wood and Abby Renshaw delivered kills on the next two points to pull DU to within 13-11, but a pair of Panther errors handed Hillsdale the two points it needed to close out the set and victory.

• With the setback, Drury dropped to 2-4 all-time vs. Hillsdale.
• The Panthers hit .199 as a team, led by Kimrey's .385 percentage.
• Bray's 51 assists topped her previous career best of 49 (Sept. 11, 2026 vs. Southwestern Oklahoma State) and marks the most by a Panther since Lauren Tyler's 51 assists at William Jewell on Nov. 4, 2023.
• Bray also notched a career best for blocks (4), while her six kills fell just one shy of her Drury career high.
• Wood recorded her second double-double as a Panther, finishing with 10 kills and 11 digs, to go along with two service aces.
• Hilton added six blocks, while both Wood and Renshaw chipped in with four apiece.
• Renshaw also tallied 14 digs, while Amelia White finished with 13 digs and Kim Quinit contributed 11 to hike her Drury career total to 948.
• Drury dropped to 5-2 in neutral-site contests and 9-3 away from home overall this season.

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