Volleyball goes 2-1 in classic tournament 

Pitt State hosted the annual classic volleyball tournament this past weekend, coming away with two sweeps before falling in a five-set match against a nationally ranked opponent. The Gorillas defeated Maryville and Southern Nazarene in straight sets before being edged by No. 9 Southwest Minnesota State to close out the tournament with a 2-1 record. 

The Gorillas finished with a .328 hitting percentage in their first win over the Maryville Saints, with junior Maliyah Johnson having a .478 personal percentage. Johnson also recorded 13 kills, three blocks, and four digs during the match. Redshirt sophomore Maddi LaPointe chipped in 11 kills and a block, while junior Kassidy Nixon added nine kills along with nine digs and a block. Junior Vix Vilott had a strong two-way performance with eight kills and 18 digs, and senior Josie McCroskey anchored the back row with 16 digs. The offense was guided by setters junior Jesa Wallace and redshirt freshman Abby Carr, who finished with 25 and 22 assists, respectively. 

The following day, the Gorillas returned to the court to take on the Southern Nazarene Crimson Storm for another 3-0 sweep. The defensive effort stood out in this match, as Pitt State held the Crimson Storm to just a .010 hitting percentage. Nixon led the way with 12 kills, an ace, and 10 digs with a .440 hitting percentage. Johnson followed with nine kills, and Vilott added seven kills, two aces, and 10 digs. Senior Anna Dean contributed five kills, two blocks, and five digs in the middle, while McCroskey turned in another 12 digs. Wallace handled most of the setting in this match, finishing with 23 assists to go along with eight digs. 

The final match of the tournament was a test against the ninth ranked team in division II, Southwest Minnesota State. Pitt State pushed the Mustangs to the limit before ultimately losing out in five. Vilott led all Gorillas in kills with 18 along with recording another 19 digs. Nixon followed closely with 13 kills, two aces, one block, and 12 digs. Johnson recorded 12 kills and three blocks, while Dean produced 10 kills, five blocks, and six digs in the middle. The setting tandem again played a key role, with Carr registering 29 assists and Wallace adding 27 assists and 15 digs. McCroskey stood out defensively, finishing with a match high 36 digs. 

The Pitt State volleyball team will travel down to Arkadelphia for the final tournament of the regular season with the Bettye Wallace Invitational on Sept. 19 and 20. The following week will be the start of MIAA play as the Gorillas will take on the Arkansas-Fort Smith Lions and Central Oklahoma Bronchos at home. All but one game after this upcoming weekend will be against in-conference opponents.