COLUMBIA, Mo. (9/11/26) – Arkansas State volleyball (3-4, 0-0 SBC) took the first set against Missouri (4-2, 0-0 SEC) before dropping three close decisions in a 3-1 (25-15, 21-25, 23-25, 24-26) defeat on Friday night at the Hearnes Center.
 
Kaitlin Whitlock and Devyn Lewis led the Red Wolves with 14 kills apiece while Addison Collum ended the contest with 11. Whitlock also posted a team-high 12 digs to secure her third double-double on the season while Calea Bush recorded a team best of three total blocks.
 
As a team A-State recorded 55 kills on a .236 hitting percentage and tallied 52 digs alongside four total blocks.
 
Set 1
A 5-1 run in the first six rallies set the tempo for the opening set as the Red Wolves eventually took a 15-9 advantage into the technical timeout. After surrendering a point in the following rally, A-State added three on an attack error, kill and service ace to widen the gap.
 
Missouri took advantage of a service error by landing a service ace to make the score 22-15, but kills from Whitlock and Parker Stearns followed by a service ace from Lewis secured a 10-point set win and a 1-0 lead in the match.
 
Set 2
Whitlock’s fourth kill in the contest pushed the Red Wolves ahead 15-14 before a 4-0 run by the opposition changed momentum in the second set. Another kill from Whitlock plus another for Lewis quickly narrowed the gap, but four of the next six rallies were claimed by the Tigers.
 
Trailing 24-20, Whitlock landed her third and final kill of the set. It would not be enough as Missouri tied the match at 1-1.
 
Set 3
Parker Stearns tied the set at 15-15 before another surge by the opposition placed the Scarlet & Black in a rally situation. The Tigers used a 6-0 run to break a 16-16 tie as A-State faced a steep climb back into the set.
 
The Red Wolves responded by taking six of the next seven rallies after Collum added two kills and Whitlock secured a service ace. With the score at 23-22, both sides exchanged a point before the opposition clinched the set with a kill.
 
Set 4
The Red Wolves trailed 11-10 before momentum shifted in their favor, as a kill from Stearns sparked a 10-4 run. The opposition chipped away at the deficit, narrowing the gap to one rally, but a service error made the score 22-20 in favor of A-State.
 
Whitlock recorded her 14th and final kill of the match to push the Red Wolves ahead 24-23, but Missouri responded with two blocks and a service ace to take the set and the match in extra points.
 
Next Up
A-State concludes competition at the Mizzou Tournament on Sept. 12 inside the Hearnes Center. The Red Wolves open a doubleheader against Wichita State at 10 a.m. and end versus FGCU at 6 p.m.
 
The Scarlet & Black’s first home matchup is slated for Sept. 18 versus Arkansas. First serve is scheduled for 7 p.m. inside First National Bank Arena, and tickets can be purchased by clicking here.
 
Social Media
Fans can follow the team on X (@AStateVB) and Instagram (astatevb) along with liking the Arkansas State Red Wolves Volleyball page on Facebook for the latest news and updates regarding the team.