MOON TOWNSHIP, Pa. – The fourth ranked University of Missouri-St. Louis volleyball team saw its 2023 season come to an end on Friday night as it lost to Cal State Los Angeles in straight sets in the semifinal round of the NCAA Championships at the UPMC Events Center in Moon Township, Pa.

The opening set was a series of runs as one side would score two points and then the other side answered. The Tritons were the first team to take more than a two-point lead as they led 17-14 after an attack error by Eliza Cannon which forced the Golden Eagles (23-10) to take a timeout. Out of the timeout, CSLA scored three of the next four points to cut UMSL's lead to 18-17 after a kill from Emily Elliott.

The Tritons extended their lead back to two after a bad set by Ashley Dittmann but that would be their last lead of the set as the Golden Eagles scored the next three points to take a 22-19 lead. They wouldn't let UMSL get closer than two points the rest of the stanza as they held on for the 25-21 victory.

Cal State LA hit .270 in the frame with 16 kills against six errors in 37 swings while holding the Tritons to a .167 attack percentage with 12 kills against six errors in 36 chances. The difference was the Golden Eagles recorded six total blocks to two for UMSL.

The Tritons led 12-11 near the midway point of the second frame before CSLA went on a 7-1 run to take a five-point lead. UMSL fought back to within 20-18 after a kill from Delaney Humm but wouldn't get closer than two points the rest of stanza as the Golden Eagles scored five of the last eight points to take the set 25-21.

Cal State LA hit a staggering .433 with 14 kills against one error in 30 chances while the Tritons hit an impressive .312 with 16 kills against six errors in 32 swings but the Golden Eagles picked up three more blocks in the set.

The final frame went back-and-forth early before CSLA pulled away courtesy of a 6-1 run and wouldn't look back as it led by as many as eight in the stanza. UMSL got as close as four but were unable to get any closer as the Golden Eagles closed out the match scoring nine of the final 14 points to win 25-17.

Cal State LA hit an equally impressive .395 in the final session with 18 kills against one error in 43 swings while holding the Tritons to a .167 attack percentage with 12 kills against six errors in 36 chances.

The Golden Eagles ended the contest hitting .364 registering 48 kills against eight errors in 110 attempts. Elliott finished with a game-high 19 kills and was joined in double figures by Dittmann and Iane Henke with 10 kills each. Cannon handed out 39 assists, Haley Roundtree finished with seven blocks and Henke had a team-high 10 digs.

UMSL was held to .212 attack percentage with 40 kills against 18 errors in 104 chances. Lexie Rang led the Tritons with 17 kills and was joined in double figures by Humm with 11 kills. Caitlin Bishop handed out 38 assists while Kylie Adams finished with a match-high 15 digs.

UMSL ends its season with a record of 34-2 including 13-0 in the GLVC, won the GLVC Regular Season title and its second consecutive Midwest Region championship.