MEMPHIS, Tenn. – In a hard-fought Gulf South Conference showdown on Friday night, the Christian Brothers University Lady Buccaneers pushed Mississippi College to the limit but came up just short, falling 3–2 (25–18, 20–25, 25–17, 20–25, 12–15) inside Canale Arena.

CBU came out firing, taking the opening set behind strong play from Sarah Helms, who led the team with 10 kills, four blocks, and one service ace. The Lady Bucs hit an impressive .297 in the first set, establishing early momentum.

Mississippi College responded in the second frame to even the match, but CBU regained control in the third, fueled by Addison Waggoner's all-around performance. Waggoner tallied 13 kills, 13 digs, and added an ace and two assists to her stat line.

The visitors fought back in sets four and five, taking advantage of key runs and minimizing errors down the stretch. Despite strong defensive efforts from Sophia Nowacki (17 digs) and Oluwaseun Osayemi's presence at the net with eight total blocks, the Lady Bucs couldn't hold off the Choctaws' late surge.

Stat Leaders for CBU:

• Helms, Sarah: 10 kills, .529 hitting %, 4 blocks, 14 points

• Waggoner, Addison: 13 kills, 13 digs, 14 points

• Osayemi, Oluwaseun: 8 blocks, 10 points

• Nowacki, Sophia: 17 digs, 5 assists, 2 aces

• Morillo, Carleiny: 20 assists, 11 digs

• Team Hitting Percentage: .139

The loss drops CBU to 7–14 overall and 2–8 in GSC play, while Mississippi College improves to 8–12 and 5–5 in the league.

CBU will return to Canale Arena next week for another conference matchup as they look to rebound and build on the competitive energy shown in Friday's five-set thriller.