POINT LOOKOUT, Mo. – The Stephens College volleyball team struggled on the opening day of the College of the Ozarks Tournament, going 0-2 in their matches. The Stars kicked off the day against Mid-America Christian University (Okla.) as they searched for their first win of the season.

In the first set, the Stars struck first with a line kill by freshman outside hitter Macie Trimble. However, Mid-America Christian responded with a run that turned the tide in their favor. A well-placed kill by middle hitter Amari Branch-Autman sparked a brief comeback for the Stars at 9-11, but a subsequent attack error allowed MACU to regain control, ultimately taking the set 25-19.

The second set saw MACU dominate from the start, carrying energy from the first set. Despite a kill from Trimble that showed some fight from the Stars, MACU's offensive power proved too much, and they cruised to a comfortable victory in the set 14-25. 

Trimble opened the third set with a cross-court kill, which briefly shifted the momentum in Stephens' favor. The Stars managed to build a five-point lead, engaging in a back-and-forth battle with MACU. However, MACU clawed back, closing the gap with a five-point run, and ultimately edged out Stephens in a tight 29-31 finish.

Jamie Russell and Trimble led the Stars with seven kills each, while setter AJ Hanninen dished out 17 assists. Libero Jatnna Pena-Perez anchored the defense with 20 digs.

In their final match of the day, the Stars faced off against Sterling College, looking to hand the Warriors their first loss of the season. However, Sterling's potent offense, which tallied 37 kills, kept Stephens at bay. The Stars struggled to match the Warriors' intensity, falling 20-25, 13-25, 13-25.

Makenna Bollinger paced the Stars with six kills, while Hanninen reached double digits in assists with 11. Pena-Perez added another 14 digs to her tally, continuing her strong defensive play.

Stephens will look to regroup on day two of the tournament, hoping to find their rhythm and secure their first win of the season. They will match up against College of the Ozarks at noon and Avila University at 4 pm.