Oct. 30, 2009 (JOPLIN, Mo.) – The 18th-ranked Truman Bulldogs avenged a loss earlier this season to Missouri Southern on Friday night, led by freshman Megan Sharpe’s 10 kills in a 3-0 (-23, -21, 27-25) road win against the Lions in a battle of top-10 teams in the South Central region.
Truman (22-9, 10-5 MIAA) won three close sets against MSSU (11-16, 4-9 MIAA), including holding on late in the final set to walk away with a sweep. The Bulldogs, ranked fifth in the South Central region, hit .198 as a team in the match while holding the Lions to .160. Sharpe backed her match-high ten kills up with a .529 hitting percentage, while junior Allison Barker had eight kills along with ten digs for the ’Dogs.
Senior Erin Hattey also put down eight kills for Truman, while junior Ashley Petak was the team’s top setter with 22 assists. Junior Casey Bruno helped pace the purple and white with 12 digs and was joined in double-figures by both Barker and sophomore Molly Sinclair (10).
The close match featured 17 ties and 10 lead changes, although the Bulldogs benefited from big runs at the start of sets one and three as well as to cap off the second frame.
Both Jeanna Feldman and Renee Rheinecker posted 10 kills for the Lions, who came in as the region’s ninth-ranked squad.
The Bulldogs will battle another team in the regional rankings, Pittsburg State, tomorrow in Pittsburg, Kan., at 3 pm. The Gorillas currently are 24th in the AVCA top-25 coaches poll and are eighth in the South Central region. Truman defeated PSU, 3-1, on Sept. 26 in Kirksville.