Several Hendrix supporters, including friends and family members, made the trip to St. Louis to support the Warriors, giving the Orange and Black what felt like a home-court advantage at the neutral site.
Freshmen Lauren Petrisin and Sara Dyslin led the Hendrix offense with 14 kills and 13 kills respectively. Petrisin finished the match with a .500 hitting percentage, while Dyslin notched a .600 success rate. Natalie Masten finished with a team-high four blocks, while Samantha Stockdale finished with three. Felicia Beeman led the team with 21 digs while Allison Gaia dished out 21 assists and notched three service aces. MC Rogers led the team with four aces.
Maryville's Rachel Kozemko finished with seven kills to lead the Scots. The team's top hitter Kelsey Handel was held to just five kills on the night, forcing Maryville to run their offense through alternative options. Mallory Bonee finished with a team-high 17 digs while Madison Coker logged a match-best six blocks.
Hendrix took control from the very beginning of the match, jumping out to a quick 10-2 advantage. The Warriors controlled the net defensively with consecutive blocks from Natalie Masten to jump out to a quick lead. Back-to-back kills Lauren Petrisin and Samantha Stockdale, followed by an Allison Gaia service aces gave the Warriors an eight-point lead to start the match.
The Warriors continued their stellar defensive play throughout the first set, forcing the Scots into a -.098 hitting percentage in the frame. Hendrix pulled away to a 25-17 victory, taking a 1-0 lead and setting the tone for the night.
In the second, the Warriors turned to freshman Sara Dyslin. The middle hitter earned six kills in the second set alone, checking in with a .750 hitting percentage in the frame. Samantha Stockdale went a perfect 3-for-3 on her attacks, while Rogers and Petrisin each had three kills as well. The Warriors hit .419 as a team in the second, earning a 25-19 victory to take a convincing 2-0 lead.
Maryville came out in the third set intent on lengthening the match. The Scots did their best to contain the explosive Hendrix offense at the net, resulting in four blocks early in the set and earning the team a 9-6 lead.
Hendrix responded with a 5-1 run to take an 11-10 lead. The team continued pounding away at the Scots, forcing them to the brink of elimination. With the squad ahead 24-21, Sara Dyslin sent home the game-winning kill, propelling the Warriors to the 3-0 match victory.
The Scots finish their season with a 26-9 record. Hendrix improves to 31-5 on the season and moves on to the second round of the NCAA Tournament. The squad will face either Bluffton, or regional host Washington University.
