Box Score Parkville, Mo. – Cougar volleyball fell to No. 4 Park University for the first time in history tonight by scores of 25-16, 25-11, 25-18 (0-3). The defeat hands the Cougars their second conference loss of the season while the Pirates remain undefeated. Columbia, who is ranked No. 13 in the latest NAIA Top 25 Poll, is now 20-4 and 4-2 in conference play while Park University advances to 24-0 and 6-0 in league play.

In the first set the Cougars took an early lead after a kill by Brooke Simpson. With the score tied at eight, Wanessa Siqueira and Raissa Herczfeld picked up a pair of kills to give the Pirates the lead. The Cougars answered back with a kill by Brooke Simpson, but the Lady Pirates picked up three straight points to take a 14-10 lead. After both teams traded points back and forth the Lady Pirates held a 20-14 lead. From there the Lady Pirates picked up five of the final seven points to take the first set 25-16.

The Pirates were able to get on top early in the second set using a 3-0 run to go up 10-6. A Cougar error would allow the pirates to edge Columbia 11-6. The Cougars were able to cut the deficit to 12-9, but the Pirates were able to pick up 13 of the final 15 points to win the set 25-11.

In the third set the Lady Pirates picked up the first three points to take an early lead. The Cougars cut the deficit to two at 8-6 after an attack error by the Pirates. From there the Lady Pirates picked up four of the next five points to take an 11-7 lead. The Cougars cut the deficit to 11-9 after back-to-back points. The two squads exchanged points back and forth until an error by the Cougars knotted the score at 15-13, which keyed a 5-1 run to give Park the 19-14 lead. The Pirates were able to pick up 6 of the final 10 points to win the set 25-18, and the match 3-0.

Polina Severina led all attackers with ten kills. Senior Brooke Simpson chipped in seven kills and ten digs while Lydie van Deursen dished out 21 assists and posted seven digs.

The Cougars return to the court this Friday, October 10^th when they travel to Fulton, Mo. to take on the Owls of William Woods University. Match time is set for 7:00 p.m.