Emporia State had their highest hitting percentage of the season at .324, good for a three-set sweep (25-14, 25-19, 25-16) over Lindenwood last Saturday night in St. Charles, Missouri.
There were six tied scores in the first 22 points of the first set before the Hornets started to break away. A kill from Julia Joseph, sophomore outside hitter, put Emporia State up 12-11, as the Hornets finished the set on a 13-3 run. Emporia State had only two errors and a .300 hitting percentage as they took the first set 25-14.
The Hornets jumped out to an early 6-1 lead in the second set, allowing Lindenwood to only come within three points the entire game. After two sets, Emporia State had only six hitting errors, compared to Lindenwood’s 16.
In the third set, the teams battled back-and-forth until an 8-3 run by the Hornets forced a Lion timeout at an 11-6 Emporia State advantage. Lindenwood fought back, getting within two points. However, the Lions were never able to tie due to a 5-1 run by the Hornets that sealed the deal for a 25-16 victory. Emporia State had a .425 hitting percentage in the third set with 19 kills.
ESU will finish the regular season at home with two conference matches. The Hornets will host #9 Central Oklahoma at 6 p.m. on Friday and follow with a 1p.m. game against Pittsburg State on Saturday.