Missouri volleyball made a trip to Kansas State for the first time since 2011  Wednesday night and lost in a five-set battle in Manhattan, Kansas. This loss dropped the Tigers to a 4-3 record on the season, ending their undefeated run after the Mizzou Invitational. 

The Tigers blocking success this season continued against Kansas State 

Before Wednesday, Missouri made a habit of being high in the rejection tally, having put up eight blocks in its previous match against Northwestern State, the sixth straight time the team had recorded more than seven blocks in a match.

 The Tigers continued that trend in the opening set against Kansas State, putting up five blocks by the halfway point. The Tiger finished with six by the time the set ended and 11 by the second set’s conclusion. Half of those six blocks came from sophomore middle blocker Trista Strasser, who finished with seven block assists by the end of the match. 

Missouri had involvement from Dixon all night long

Senior outside hitter Anna Dixon took on her former team for the first time since leaving Kansas State and had plenty of bright moments throughout the match. She led the team in kills with 17, opening with four in the first set — only trailing behind teammate Kaylee Cox — who had six in the set. 

The Preseason All-SEC team senior, Dixon used her 6-foot-3 height to her advantage at the net. Dixon’s presence helped bring Missouri back from its two-set deficit, and it was evident when she was not on the court. 

After the Tigers forced the match to the final set, Dixon did not have the best ending to her overall solid performance. She finished with zero kills and five errors in the last set, with the fifth and final error hitting into the net, giving Kansas State the match point needed to help the Wildcats clinch the match. 

Myers and Warner played the key role in Kansas State’s domination of the Tigers

From the onset of the matchup, the Wildcats showcased their main three offensive players. Freshman outside hitter Shaylee Myers carried Kansas State in the first set, leading the team in kills by the end and helping the Wildcats make a comeback at the end of the first set. She did by saving one of the Tigers set points with another kill. 

The two other parts of this dynamic trio — senior outside hitter Elena Baka and graduate opposite Haley Warner — combined for 32 kills throughout the night. Baka’s steady hand from the service line and at the net, along with Warner having one of her best regular season games for Kansas State, resulted in a Kansas State victory, 3-2. The Tigers will look to bounce back in their next game as they take on Ohio University Sept. 16 in Indianapolis for Missouri volleyball’s first match in the Bulldog Brawl tournament. 

Edited by Riley Gearhart | rgearhart@themaneater.com

Copy Editor — Jacob Richey | jrichey@themaneater.com