The Webster University volleyball team muscled its way into the St. Louis Intercollegiate Athletic Conference title race with a 3-1 win over first-place Westminster College, on October 11 at Grant Gymnasium.  The Gorloks had a gritty win, taking the final two sets by a 26-24 margin.  Webster is now 11-3 in the SLIAC as Westminster falls to 9-2.

The Gorloks opened up a 4-1, then 8-2 lead in set one.  After a Westminster timeout, the Blue Jays crawled within 11-8 but Webster responded with a 6-1 run for its biggest lead at 17-9.  Despite another timeout, the closest the Blue Jays would get the rest of the set was within five as the Gorloks won, 25-18.  Jory Siebenmorgen (SR, Eureka, MO/Eureka) had five kills in the set and Emily Knowles (SR, Belleville, IL/Mascoutah) had three block assists.  Webster had only three attack errors and a .278 pct. for the set.

The teams battled back and forth early in set two, but the Blue Jays edged out in front, 9-6.  They maintained their lead at 13-9, and 15-11, before a Gorlok timeout.  Westminster wasn't fazed as it came out of the timeout with four straight to go up 19-11.  But the Gorloks made it exciting, closing to 24-22, before the Blue Jays won the set, 25-22, and tied the match at 1-1.  Siebenmorgen once again would lead with five kills but errors would cost Webster as it finished with a negative attack pct. for the set.  

Webster took the early lead in set three, taking a 9-5 lead before Westminster would tie it at 12-12.  The Gorloks would slide back in front off a couple Blue Jay errors, at 19-16.  At 21-18, Webster extended the lead to 23-18 before a Westminster timeout.   Like the Gorloks the previous set, the Blue Jays made it exciting, tying the set at 24-24, with a 6-1 run.  A kill by Siebenmorgen and a block by Torie Grassi (SO, St. Louis, MO/Rosati-Kain) and Emi Beining (JR, Festus, MO/Lutheran South) for a point gave Webster a 26-24 set win, and a 2-1 lead in the match.

The Gorloks opened up set four with a lead after a Siebenmorgen kill made it 7-4.  The Blue Jays took the lead at 12-11 with an 8-4 run.  The set then went back and forth with numerous ties and lead changes before Westminster led again, 18-16.  After a Webster timeout at 18-17, Westminster took three straight points for a 21-17 lead.  A Kelsey Hamann (SO, Waterloo, IL/Waterloo) kill cut the lead to 21-19, and the Gorloks would roar back to take a 25-24 lead before a Blue Jay attack was just wide for a 26-24 set win, and the match.

Siebenmorgen once again led Webster in kills in the final set with five, and had 17 on the evening with a .273 attack pct.  Beining finished with two solo blocks and four block assists, and Knowles wound up with five block assists.  Hamann led with 22 assists and Maria Soffner (JR, Creve Coeur, MO/Incarnate Word Academy) led with 17 digs.  Hamann chipped in with 16.

Webster lost a barn-burner on September 24 vs. Westminster at Grant.  The Gorloks fell in a tie-breaker, 25-23, 17-25, 25-16, 16-25, 12-15.  After a 21-match Webster win streak vs. Westminster, the Blue Jays had won five of the last seven meetings before Webster's win.

Webster is 11-3 in the SLIAC and 15-7.  Westminster is now 9-2 and 13-7 overall.  After a 12-game win streak, the Blue Jays now have dropped four straight.  The Gorloks are next in action on October 20 in Louisville, KY, vs. Spalding University.