Morehead, Ky.-- Morehead State won two of the first three sets, but fell 2-3 (25-21, 22-25, 25-22, 19-25, 11-15) to SIUE Friday night in a tight match in First Community Arena in Edwardsville, Illinois.
 
Morehead State (10-13, 6-7 OVC) was led by Hollan Everett with 19 kills. Amelia Nott tied her career high with 17 kills and posted a .483 hitting percentage. Freshman Ella Warrick notched 16 kills and hit an efficient .361.
 
SIUE (7-16, 5-6 OVC) also had three players record double-figure kill totals, led by Kennedy Pike with 14 kills and a .345 hitting percentage. Sophie Robinson notched 13 terminations and Maddie Determan added 12.
 
After taking the fourth set to force the tiebreaker, SIUE took control of the final frame with a 4-1 run followed by a 3-1 run to take a 10-7 lead. The Eagles responded with a three-point run to even the score at 10-10. SIUE came right back to clinch the match with a 5-1 run capped by Kinley Quast's service ace.
 
In the opening set, Morehead State used a 6-1 run to gain some separation and take a 12-7 lead. After small runs by both teams, the Eagles ran off four straight points to give them a 23-16 lead and clinched the set 25-21 after SIUE held off three set points. MSU posted an efficient.344 hitting percentage led by the senior tandem of Everett and Nott. Everett smacked seven kills while posting a .344 hitting percentage. Nott posted five kills and a .571 attack efficiency.
 
The early stage of the second set was marked by runs from both teams. After a 4-0 MSU run to put the Eagles ahead 6-4, the teams traded 3-0 runs and then 2-0 runs to even the score at 11-11. Out of the technical timeout, SIUE went on a 5-1 run to gain a 19-16 advantage and closed out the set with a 3-1 run at 25-22. The Cougars hit .222 in the frame while MSU posted a .171 efficiency.
 
After Morehead State opened up a 9-5 lead in the third set, SIUE rebounded with a 6-1 run to take an 11-10 lead. After the Eagles responded with a three-point run to go back ahead 13-11, the Cougars drew even again at 13-13. The Eagles then went on a 7-2 run capped by Josie Certa's second ace of the match to gain a 20-15 lead.
 
The Cougars answered by scoring six of the next eight points to cut the Eagle lead to 22-21. Morehead State closed out the set with a 3-1 run on kills by Everett and Warrick and capped by Courtney Fitzgerald's second service ace of the match.  MSU posted a .308 hitting percentage in the set; SIUE hit .333 in the frame.
 
SIUE forced the tiebreaker outlasting Morehead State in a closely-contested fourth set. The Cougars extended their lead to 20-17 with a late 4-0 run. The Eagles got a couple of points on Amelia Nott's 15^th kill of the match an ace from the senior to get to within a point at 20-19. SIUE then closed out the set with a 5-0 run. SIUE posted a .345 hitting percentage in the frame while holding Morehead State to a .154 efficiency.
 
The Eagles and the Cougars will close out the series Saturday at First Community Arena at 3:00 p.m. ET. The match is scheduled to be streamed on ESPN+.
 
NOTABLE

• Morehead State posted a .233 hitting percentage; SIUE hit .295.
• The Eagles had a 10-7 edge in service aces. Josie Certa tied her career high with three. Ella Warrick, Courtney Fitzgerald and Sydney Sennett notched two aces each and Amelia Nott added one, her team-leading 32^nd of the season.
• SIUE had a 10-7 advantage in total team blocks. The Cougars' Vienna Elliot posted a match-high four. Haidyn Carter and Hollan Everett led the Eagles with three blocks apiece.
• SIUE had a 74-58 advantage in digs.