The Webster University volleyball team went down fighting as it lost at Greenville College, 3-1, in the St. Louis Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Tournament semi-final, on November 5 in Greenville, IL. The Gorloks were hoping for a ninth championship in the last 11 years, but fell to the rival Panthers, 20-25, 26-24, 25-20, and 25-17.
Greenville, the #1 seed in the tournament, is the only team that has interupted the Gorloks SLIAC Tournament championship run, winning in 2010 and 2015. Webster had snapped a Greenville seven-match win streak vs. the Gorloks with a win at Greenville on September 29.
The Panthers took a 1-0 lead in
set one, 25-20, but in
set two, down 13-12, Webster took an 18-14. The Panthers closed to 20-19 as Webster took a timeout. With a 21-20 lead a service error on Greenville put the Gorloks up, 22-20, but the Panthers tied it at 22-22, prompting another Webster timeout. A Greenville block followed by a service error made it 23-23. A Webster block and Greenville dink made it 24-24. Finally, a Gorlok kill and Panther error gave Webster a 26-24 set win.
The same type of play carried over into
set three as the teams battled back and forth. The lead see-sawed until Webster had an 11-10 lead. Greenville had a 4-0 run to take a 14-11 lead. When the Panthers pulled ahead, 17-13, Webster took a timeout and would tie the set at 19-19, but a pair of Panther points gave Greenville a 21-19 lead and another Gorlok timeout ensued. Greenville would go on to take the set, 25-20, and a 2-1 match lead.
Webster took a 4-3 lead in
set four but Greenville went on a 6-0 run to go up, 9-4. After a Webster timeout, the Panthers extended their lead to 11-4, then 13-6. Greenville still led at 21-16 and would close out the set, 25-17, and the match, 3-1.
Emi Beining (JR, Festus, MO/Lutheran South) led the Gorloks with nine kills for the match. Beining had two solo blocks and four block assists as well. Macee Owen (SO, Tucson, AZ/Empire) had seven kills and added 16 digs. Katie O'Toole (SR, St. Louis, MO/Lutheran South) had a team-high 20 digs for Webster and Kelsey Hamann (SO, Waterloo, IL/Waterloo) had a team-high 18 assists.
For her efforts, Beining was named to the 2016 SLIAC All-Tournament Team.
The Gorloks have won the tournament championship the most times (12) in the 22 years the conference has held one. Overall, Webster holds a 38-14 series advantage against Greenville.
Three seniors played their final match for the Gorloks, Emily Knowles (Belleville, IL/Mascoutah), O'Toole, and Jory Siebenmorgen (Eureka, MO/Eureka). Webster finished 19-13 overall after tying for third in the SLIAC at 13-5.
