Box Score It might have been too close for comfort, but the Webster University volleyball team won its eighth straight contest in the St. Louis Intercollegiate Athletic Conference, beating Spalding University, 3-2, on October 17 in Louisville, KY.  With the win, the Gorloks are one game out of first place in the SLIAC, at 11-2 in conference play.

The Gorloks won a close first set, 25-22, but after losing a lead in the second set, fell 22-25 as the Golden Eagles tied the match up at 1-1.  The battle continued in the third set as the teams traded points early but Webster took a 13-9 lead.  Spalding came back and took a 24-22 lead but Webster scored four straight points to win, 26-24, taking a 2-1 advantage in the match.

Webster looked like it would wrap it up in the fourth set, taking a 6-0 lead, but Spalding went on an 8-1 run to go ahead, 8-7, and went on to knot the match at 2-2 with a 25-18 win.  The Gorloks took control in the tie-breaker winning the set, 15-11, and the match, 3-2.  

A trio of Gorloks led the way in kills with Rachel Nelson (JR, Papillion, NE/Papillion LaVista-South HS) at 16, Sam Kersting (SR, St. Louis, MO/Lindbergh HS) at 15, and Jenny Howard (SR, Florissant, MO/Duchesne HS) with 14.  Nelson and Kersting each had two solo blocks and four block assists for the night.  Jordan Vehlewald (SR, Wildwood, MO/Lafayette HS) tied her season-high with 39 digs for the match.  Allie O'Toole (SR, St. Louis, MO/Lutheran South HS) tied her season-high with 30 assists.

Westminster College and Greenville College (IL) currently are both 12-1 in the SLIAC, sharing the first place spot.

The Gorloks are right back at it in Louisville on October 18, facing MacMurray College (IL) and Blackburn College (IL), in two more  SLIAC bouts.  Webster heads to Wisconsin on October 24-25, playing in the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh Tournament.  The team will face the host school, Clarke University (IA), Loras College (IA), and Wisconsin-River Falls, to close out their non-conference schedule.