Box Score Webster University's volleyball team went the distance for a 3-2 home win against Augustana College (Ill.) Friday (Oct. 11). The Gorloks prevailed 27-25, 21-25, 22-25, 25-12, and 15-10.
 
This is the second time this season Webster has played a five-set match. The Gorloks beat Westminster in five on Sept. 14.
 
The win improved Webster's season record to 16-4. After 20 matches last season, the team had a 12-8 record.
 
Freshman Katie O'Toole (St. Louis, MO / Lutheran South) compiled 50 digs to shatter a school record and approach a national record.  The previous Webster record for digs in a five-set match was 39 set by Susi Riegel against Rhodes (Tenn.) Nov 9, 2006. O'Toole was one dig away from a six-way tie for 17th place on the NCAA Division III all-time list for digs [Note: Published NCAA records are prior to the this season]. Webster's 97 digs as a team ties for 22nd-highest total in school history in a five-set match.
 
Webster's defense also shone at the net with a season-high 28 assisted blocks, one shy of the school record set against Principia (Ill.) Oct. 1, 1992. Juniors Sam Kersting (St. Louis, MO / Lindbergh) and Emily Ratkewicz (Granite City, IL / Granite City) each had season highs of seven block assists.
 
The 28 block assists is well above the team's previous high of 18 against Millikin (Ill.) Oct. 4. The 14 total team blocks [team total equals solo blocks plus half of assisted blocks] ties for the 13th-highest in school history in a match.
 
Webster began the week ranked fifth in the nation in Division III in blocks per set at 2.68, behind the national leader with 2.91. Kersting (14th) and Ratkewicz (17th) were in the top 20 nationally among all Division III players for blocks per sets.
 
For the first time this season, three Webster players amassed 10 or more kills in a match. Kersting was tops with 17 kills, followed by junior Andrea Dwiggins (St. Charles, MO / St. Charles) with a season-high 11 kills and junior Jordan Vehlewald (Wildwood, MO / Lafayette) with a season-high 10 kills. Dwiggins did not commit an error in 31 attacks, finishing with a team-high .355 hitting percentage.
 
For Kersting, this is her fourth consecutive match with 10+ kills, her longest streak this season. It is the seventh time in her last eight matches that she has reached the 10-kill plateau, something she did twice in her first eight matches this season. At the start of the week, Kersting had moved up to 38th place nationally in Division III with a .356 season hitting percentage.
 
The last time three Gorloks recorded 10+ kills in the same match was Oct. 20, 2012, against Spalding (Ky.). In that contest, Kersting, Ratkewicz and Jenny Howard each had 13 kills.
 
Setters Allie O'Toole (St. Louis, MO / Lutheran South) and Ashley Fawcett (Surprise, AZ / Valley Vista) were credited with 20 and 18 assists, respectively.
 
Webster is back on its home court Saturday (Oct. 12) as part of a conference quadrangular. The Gorloks host Spalding at 11 am and Eureka at 1 pm.
 
Saturday is the team's annual "Dig Pink" fundraiser to support the Side-Out Foundation, a volleyball-themed organization devoted to the breast cancer battle. Those unable to attend the event can still be a part of a Webster's team with an online donation [https://www.side-out.org/cb/campaigns/campaign/7671].