Trojans Battle Cottey in Four-Set Conference Matchup

NEVADA, Mo. — The Hannibal-LaGrange University volleyball team battled throughout Thursday's conference matchup against Cottey College but came up short in a 3-1 road loss on Saturday, October 17. The Trojans dropped the match by set scores of 25-16, 24-26, 26-28 and 19-25.

Hannibal-LaGrange (9-15, 6-5 AMC) responded after dropping the opening set, putting together a strong effort in the second set to even the match at one set apiece. The Trojans continued to battle in the third, pushing Cottey to extra points before the Comets secured a narrow 28-26 victory. Cottey then closed out the match with a 25-19 win in the fourth set.

Summer Zelei led the Trojans with 13 kills while adding 17 digs and a solo block. Jade Clay and Brooke Rocca each recorded eight kills, while Sophia Wallace contributed seven kills and two block assists.

Delaney Eggemeyer directed the Trojan offense with 35 assists and added five kills and 16 digs. Jena Jobb anchored the defensive effort with a team-high 24 digs while contributing five assists and two service aces.

Hannibal-LaGrange finished the match with 47 kills and 79 digs. The Trojans also recorded seven service aces, with Jobb contributing two and Miriam Simmons, Zelei, Clay and Mary O'Rand each adding one or two to the team's total.

Cottey (9-17, 3-9 AMC) was led offensively by Serafina Auberry and Tatum Marang, who each finished with 15 kills. Auberry hit .261, while Marang added three service aces. Juli Voelkel led the Comets with four service aces and contributed 18 digs.

Despite the loss, the Trojans showed resilience in the middle sets, particularly in the second and third, where they battled through tight stretches to keep the match competitive. However, Cottey managed to capitalize in the closing points of the third set before pulling away in the fourth.

Hannibal-LaGrange moves to 6-5 in American Midwest Conference play and will look to regroup as the conference schedule continues.