Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 TOPEKA, Kan. — After going 0-4 in each of its first two tournaments of the season, it would have been easy for Southern Nazarene to feel defeated after being down 2-0 to Northwest Missouri State in the first match of the Lady Blues Fall Classic. SNU though rallied back and won three straight to win its first tournament match of the year and its fourth straight win in a 3-2 (22-25, 18-25, 25-23, 25-23, 15-12) win over Northwest Missouri State. The Crimson Storm also fell 3-1 (25-19, 17-25, 25-14, 25-18) to Missouri Western State.
 
In the opener, Southern Nazarene trailed 2-0 in the match, had not hit over .100 in the first two sets and were trailing 15-12 when something clicked. A Kira Roberts kills sparked a run of three straight points as SNU tied it. Northwest Missouri State jumped out to a 17-15 lead, but the Storm answered right back with three straight and forced a Bearcats timeout. SNU broke an 18-18 tie with three straight to lead 21-18, but NWMSU answered with three straight of its own. An Emily Dick kill made it 22-21 before a Bearcat error and a Natalia Oliveira kill gave SNU set point. NWMSU cut it to 24-23, but Jamie Hope closed it out with a kill and the momentum started coming back the way of SNU.
 
The Storm jumped out to a 7-1 lead, but didn't hold on to the advantage as the Bearcats answered with an 11-5 run to tie it at 12. Northwest Missouri State led 15-14 when an error tied the match at 15 and then Taylor Chase served three straight aces to make it 18-15. The Storm led 23-18 later in the set, but the Bearcats made a late charge to cut it to 24-23, but Oliveira came up with the kill to force the fifth and final set.
 
SNU took a 6-3 lead early in the set, but a 6-3 run by the Bearcats tied it at 9-9. An error, a Roberts kill and another Chase ace gave the Storm a 12-9 lead and Southern Nazarene held on for its first five-set win of the year.
 
Oliveira and Roberts led the way as each had 12 kills. Oliveira also had 14 digs while Roberts had three blocks. Chase dished out 35 assists and 12 digs for her second double-double of the year to go with her career-high four aces. Emma Krottinger also had 10 digs.
 
Hope seemed to be everywhere on the court as the junior had six kills, seven digs and season-high seven blocks. She was just one block short of her career-high.
 
SNU also had 11 blocks which was just one short of a season high.
 
Against Missouri Western, Oliveira had 14 kills and 17 digs while Roberts had 13 kills. Chase had 39 assists. Krottinger had 11 digs while Emily Troup had 11. SNU didn't hit over .200 in any set but the second as the Storm ripped a .484 clip (17-2-31), but hit just .200 for the match.
 
The Storm will take on Emporia State (Kan.), Saturday, at 11 a.m. before playing No. 4 Washburn (Kan.) at 5:30 p.m.