DECATUR, Miss. — East Central Community College volleyball dropped a hard-fought four-set contest to Itawamba Community College on Monday night inside Founders Gymnasium, but the Warriors remain in strong position as they prepare for a challenging weekend slate at the Bishop State Tournament.

The Warriors (7-5, 5-4 MACCC) fell 25-14, 25-17, 20-25, 25-14 against the Indians. Sophomore Riley Tosseng led the attack with 12 kills and 13 points, while sophomore Ainslee Copeland added 15 digs and nine points. Freshman setter Anna Wojtczak finished with 27 assists and eight digs, and freshman libero Emily Truan anchored the defense with 15 digs.

ECCC showed resilience in the third set, pulling out a 25-20 win behind improved efficiency and steady contributions across the lineup. However, Itawamba answered back in the fourth frame to close out the match.

The Warriors now shift their focus to the Bishop State Tournament this weekend in Gulf Shores, Ala., where they will play four matches over two days. On Friday, Oct. 3, East Central will face Bishop State at 1 p.m. before a 3 p.m. contest against Itawamba in tournament play. On Saturday, Oct. 4, the Warriors take on Snead State at 11 a.m. before closing with a marquee matchup against No. 20 Lurleen B. Wallace at 1 p.m.

The tournament offers ECCC another chance to test itself against quality competition as the Warriors continue their inaugural season and look to climb the MACCC standings.