Curtis Meyer reporter
It was a tumultuous beginning of the season for Pitt State’s volleyball team, as they have failed to string together consecutive victories since their first tournament of the year. That trend continued this weekend, as the Gorillas went 1-1 in their first taste of MIAA conference play against Arkansas Fort Smith and Central Oklahoma. Pitt State now sits at 6-6 through a month of games, as they still search for consistency early in this season.
The Gorillas started their MIAA play with five straight road games across three weeks, before hosting their MIAA home opener on Oct. 11, against Central Missouri. The Gorillas started strong, posting a 3-1 win over the Arkansas Fort Smith Lions.
Pitt State claimed the win with sets of 25-23, 25-20, 20-25, and 25-22. Things were very competitive in the first set, as Pitt State took the lead early, but couldn’t quite pull away until right at the end. The second set, Arkansas Fort Smith kept it close till about halfway through, as Pitt State was able to pull away and take the 2-0 series lead.
The Lions found their game in the third, dominating for most of the set to give themselves a chance. The Gorillas weren’t fazed, however, as they battled with the Lions throughout the fourth set, scoring the last three points in a row to take the set and the game.
Junior, Anna Dean, posted a season high 13 kills in the win, as well as tying the team lead with five blocks. Junior, Rylee Martin, had a 29 assist, 16 dig effort to post a double double along with a season high eight kills. Senior, Ivy Fink, chipped in seven kills, as well as four aces.
Momentum seemed high for the Gorillas after earning their first conference win of the season, but it wasn’t long lasting, as they fell 0-3 to #13 ranked Central Oklahoma. The Broncos dominated for most of the game, winning the sets 13-25, 12-25, and 21-25.
The Gorillas struggled mightily with errors in the match, posting 21 combined errors in just three sets, while the Bronchos only had nine, with zero in the second set. The Gorillas started off very cold in the first two sets, as errors and a strong attack from the Bronchos put them ahead early in both sets. The third set was more competitive, but the Gorillas were stuck chasing the lead early on and never quite caught up to Central Oklahoma.
Dean led the team again, this time with six kills and a block, while sophomore, Jessa Wallace, handed out 13 assists. Junior, Josie McCroskey, added 11 digs and a single kill in the loss.
The Gorillas will look to continue their season and get back in the winning column next week when they travel to face Washburn on Oct. 3, a Thursday night game. Pitt State will follow that with another road game against Emporia State on Friday, before they have their last game of the road trip Tuesday, against Newman University.
