LONGVIEW, Texas - The LeTourneau volleyball team dropped a heartbreaking, five-set epic to the Hendrix Warriors on Friday night in Solheim. 

After dropping the opening two sets, the YellowJackets clawed their way back into the match, sending it to five, before ultimately falling 3-2 (25-12, 25-19, 23-25, 17-25, 15-12). 

Career-highs from Claire Bezanilla (14 kills) and Kassidy Meyer (11 kills), along with a double-double from Emily Mullin, helped LeTourneau push the match to the distance. Mullin's 25 assists and 13 digs were both season-highs. 

Rebekah Dragoo was everywhere for the YellowJackets, garnering 30 digs, including several highlight-reel saves. Elyse McKinney's season-high 16 digs and Nora Lockhart's six blocks also helped the LeTourneau defensive effort. 

The opening-set was all Hendrix (10-6, 5-1 SCAC) as they used a late 9-1 run to comfortably close out the first set 25-12. 

The second-set was much more competitive, as kills from Lockhart and Bezanilla gave the Jackets a 17-15 lead. However, nine consecutive Warrior points emphatically put the set out of reach, giving Hendrix a commanding two-set lead. 

Trailing 19-18 in the third, LeTourneau (8-11, 4-3 SCAC) came to life, scoring six of the next seven points and taking a 24-20 lead. Hendrix would cut the lead to one, but another Bezanilla kill gave LeTourneau the set 25-23. 

The fourth-set was tightly contested as the YellowJackets led 16-14 midway through. LeTourneau would again close out the set strong, finishing it on a 9-3 run to push the match to a deciding set. Six of Bezanilla's 14 kills came in the fourth set. 

Hendrix seemed to retake control of the match as they led 11-5, putting the Jackets on their heels. However, LeTourneau would not go down without a fight as they rattled off five straight points on the serve from Mullin, cutting the Warrior lead to one. Unfortunately, that was as close as they would get, as Hendrix would regroup, taking the final set 15-12. 

Hendrix was led by Addison Rud, who recorded 16 kills, and Reghan Frazzetta, who put together a 24-assist, 13-dig double-double. 

UP NEXT

The YellowJackets will have their senior day, taking on Ozarks tomorrow at 1:00 PM in Solheim. 

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