Box Score Christian Brothers Box | Harding Box | Season Stats

BOLIVAR, Mo. -- The Pittsburg State volleyball team won seven straight matches before losign its first match of the season to Harding, 3-2 in the second day of the Purple Bash hosted by Southwest Baptist. Earlier in the day, the Gorillas defeated Christian Brothers, 3-1, for the seventh win of the season.

Pitt State won the first two sets over Christian Brothers, 25-23 and 25-22, before falling in set three 19-25. The final set saw the Gorillas come back to take the match with a decisive 25-15 win.

Two Gorillas registered double digit kills, with Brooke Fay leading the team with 12. Crystal Whitten added 11. Leah Flynn and Nicole Rockhold were just under double figures with nine and eight kills, respectively. Rockhold led the Gorillas in digs with 11, while Christa McCaw added 10.

The Gorillas made a valiant effort against Harding, but fell just short, losing the match 3-2 by scores of 25-20, 20-25, 19-25, 25-17 and 15-11. Though Pitt State outblocked, the Bison 13.0 to 9.0, Harding had the offensive advantage, recording four more kills and hitting at a .228 clip, to just .183 for the Gorillas.

Leah Flynn played her best match of the season, recording 20 kills, the first 20-kill match for a Gorillas this season. Whitten added 14 kills and Brooke Fay, 12. Rockhold was again just under double figures with nine and led the team with 19 digs. Whitten recorded a double-double as she also had 15 digs. Becca Pearson also had a double-double with 28 assists and 11 digs. Sam Wyatt added 10 digs.

Chloe Foster led the successful Gorilla blocking effort with seven block assists. Fay, Flynn and Paula Okrutna each added four blocks.

Pitt State will play its first home match of the season on Tuesday (Sept. 11) evening against Central Oklahoma at 7 p.m. It will be the first contest played on the newly renovated John Lance Arena floor.