NASHVILLE - Lipscomb volleyball earned their third-straight victory with a hard-fought 3-2 (25-17, 25-18, 19-25, 17-25, 17-15) win over Kansas State in the final matchup of the LIPPY Invitational. The win marks the first over a power-five opponent since the 2021 season when the Bisons defeated Oklahoma 3-1 in Norman. 

Lipscomb finished with 67 kills, one shy of their season-high, which they set in the last match against UT Martin. The Bisons hit at a .261 percent efficiency with 65 assists to go along with 12 service aces, both of which are season-highs. 

Jada DiVita earned MVP honors after another double-digit kill performance, her fourth consecutive match doing so, with 17 on the night. DiVita finished with 39 kills and three blocks in the two matchups this weekend. After a stellar defensive performance, Delaney Smith was the second player to represent the Bisons on the All-Tournament squad. She ended the night with 13 digs and six assists. Caroline Stogner rounded out Lipscomb's portion of the list, finishing the two matches with a combined 29 kills, 12 digs, four blocks, and a team-high five service aces. 

Set 1:

Lipscomb took control of the first set early after a kill from Stogner and three straight service aces by Cora ter Kuile, which gave them a 5-1 advantage. They'd stretch their lead to six (17-11) midway through the match on another ace from ter Kuile, which forced a Kansas State timeout. The Bisons would continue to have their way in the first set, ending the first frame with three straight points on two kills and a service ace, their fifth ace in the set, to take a 25-17 win into the break. 

Set 2: 

The Bisons had their way early, with a 4-1 start to set two. Kansas State kept within a few points until midway through the set when Lipscomb went on a 9-3 run to separate themselves from the Wildcats. That stretch propelled the Bisons to a 25-18 win, including four of the last five points to cap off another commanding set for Herd. Lipscomb's hitters combined for 34 kills in the first two sets. 

Set 3:

Kansas State didn't go away quitely, winning the following two sets to force a deciding fifth frame. Kansas State swingers began to heat up in the third set, helping them secure a 25-19 set three win. The Wildcats hit at a .371 percent clip in the frame with 15 kills. 

Set 4:

Kansas State continued to swing well in the fourth set with 11 kills, due in part to Lipscomb lack of efficency in their attack. They had their worst attack of the night with only eight kills and a .000 hitting percentage with eight attack errors. Despite the hitting woes, the match was tied at 16, but the road team rallied off eight straight points including nine of the last 10 in the frame to win 25-17 and force a first to 15 deciding set.  

Set 5: 

Set five was one for the books, with several outstanding efforts on both ends. The Wildcats controlled most of the final set at the 10-5 mark forcing Lipscomb to a timeout to regroup. However, their adjustments did the trick as they scored two straight points to force a Kansas State break. After a kill by the Wildcats, Lipscomb scored two more on kills from Meg Mersman and DiVita. Later in the sequence, the Bisons tied the match on a kill from Courtney Jones and then took the lead on a kill from Addi Pelham. The Wildcats tied the set twice to stay alive after the Bisons took a one-point lead each time, but Lipscomb's attack was too much to handle late, as back-to-back kills earned the Bisons their third-straight victory. 

All-Tournament Team: 

Jada DiVita (MVP) - Lipscomb 

Delaney Smith - Lipscomb

Caroline Stogner - Lipscomb

Aliyah Carter - Kansas State

Sydney Bolden - Kansas State

Olivia Saunders - UT Martin 

Up Next:
Lipscomb will compete in the Mississippi State Invitational starting Sept. 14 against the Bulldogs at 6:00 p.m. CT.