CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. (9/10/21) – Macey Putt registered yet another colossal performance, but it was not quite enough as the Arkansas State volleyball team dropped a 3-2 barnburner to Kansas City Friday afternoon to open the SEMO Invitational.
Putt's career-best 30 kills (.278 attack percentage) accompanied 14 digs to lead A-State (4-3), which saw three players post double-double efforts: Putt, Paulina Sobolewska (11 kills, 16 digs) and Kassidy Reeves (16 assists, 10 digs). For Putt, it marked her sixth double-double in seven matches while it was the second in a row for Reeves.
The Red Wolves put up incredible fight, saving multiple set points throughout the match, but the Roos (6-1) held on for a tight 15-13 decision in the fifth set to extend their winning streak to six matches.
A-State served seven aces in the match, including a career-best four by Makayla Villarreal. Lauren Musante just missed a double-double with 20 assists and 9 digs while Tatum Ticknor led defensively with 24 digs.
De'Janae Arnold led Kansas City with 16 kills, while Melanie Brecka tallied 13 kills and 15 digs. Setter Alli Schomers piloted the Roos' offense to the tune of 52 assists along with 19 digs.
The Red Wolves opened up with an early lead in the first set, but Kansas City took a close lead and took a tightly-contested 25-23 decision to lead 1-0 in the match.
A-State responded with a 25-16 decision in the second set to tie the match up at 1-all, propelled by nine kills by Putt. Kansas City led by as much as five in the frame before the Red Wolves surged ahead with a 16-2 run to lead 22-13, then holding off the Roos for the match-tying set.
Kansas City led for nearly the entire third set, owning as much as a six-point lead. A-State clawed back to trim the deficit to one, but the Roos took a 2-1 lead in the match with yet another tight set, winning 25-22.
The Red Wolves continued to keep it close in the fourth set, which saw the lead change hands nine times along with 16 ties. A-State prevailed down the stretch, though, taking seven of the last 10 points to knot the match up at 2-all and force a fifth set.
In the deciding fifth set, A-State surged to an early 5-2 lead before the Roos took a 7-6 lead Kansas City led by as much as four at 13-9 before the Red Wolves cut it to 13-12. Putt's 30th kill of the day saved a match point, but a kill by Odyssey Warren ended the set and match.
NEXT UP
A-State returns to action Saturday for a pair of matches to close out the SEMO Invitational. First, the Red Wolves square off against Marshall at 1:30 p.m. before facing host SEMO at 7 p.m. on ESPN+.
SOCIAL MEDIA
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