Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 The Webster University volleyball team rebounded from a heart-breaking loss to St. Louis Intercollegiate Athletic Conference rival Greenville College, 3-2, to sweep host Blackburn College, 3-0 in the day's finale.  Webster suffered its second tie-breaker loss, in two days, to the Panthers but improved to 5-1 in the SLIAC with the win over the Beavers.

Though the Gorloks have won four straight SLIAC championships, the pre-season favorite Panthers have always been a presence in the conference tournament.  Webster defeated Greenville for the championship in 2012 and 2011, but the Panthers broke the Gorloks's previous championship streak of four in a row with a win in 2010.  The Gorloks had won four straight championships also from 2006-09.

Webster lost the first set, 22-25, then won a cliffhanger in the second, 27-25.  The Gorloks were poised to win the match after winning the third set, 25-16, but the resilient Panthers forced the tie-breaker with a 25-15 win in the fourth.  Greenville clinched the match with a 15-7 win in the tie-beaker and is now 6-0 in the SLIAC.

Jory Siebenmorgen (JR, Eureka, MO/Eureka HS) had a season-high 16 kills in the match and Torie Grassi (FR, St. Louis, MO/Rosati-Kain HS) pitched in with eight.  Emily Knowles (JR, Belleville, IL/Mascoutah HS) had a solo block and six block assists in the match and Rachel Nelson (SR, Papillion, NE/Papillion LaVista-South HS) had three block solos and three block assists.

Junior Katie O'Toole (St. Louis, MO/Lutheran South HS) had a season-high 27 digs.  Three other Gorloks were in double figures for digs as Emma Cabutti (SR, Mahomet, IL/Mahomet-Seymour HS) had 13, Kelsey Hamann (FR, Waterloo, IL/Waterloo HS) had 11, and Emmi Murphy (FR, Springfield, MO/Central HS) had 10.

Against Blackburn, it was a much different story as the Gorloks won in straight sets, 25-15, 25-23, and 25-13.  Grassi led the Gorloks with 12, giving her 20 on the afternoon.  O'Toole once again led with 20 digs, with freshmen Samantha Budrovich (St. Louis, MO/Lutheran South HS) and Jilli Zimpfer (St. Charles, MO/St. Charles HS) each with eight.  Nelson had five block assists and Grassi four in the match.  On the day, Nelson had three solo and eight block assists.

Webster is now 7-8 overall.  The Gorloks will be home on September 29 to face Principia College (IL) and travel to Greenville on October 1 for another SLIAC showdown.