In what has to be one of the best earned victories in program history, the Webster University volleyball team won at Greenville College (IL) in a tie-breaker, 3-2. The Gorloks, who lost a close match earlier this season to the Panthers, gave them just their second loss in the SLIAC and leap-frogged a half game over Greenville into second place with the win before 326 hostile fans.
Webster won a literal knock-down, drag-out affair, 24-26, 25-21, 25-27, 25-23, and 15-13 in the tie-breaker set. The Gorloks set season highs in the match for kills with 60, assists with 54, and block assists with 22. Webster also tied its season-high in service aces with nine.
In set one, the Gorloks were down until they tied it at 13-13 on an Emi Beining (JR, Festus, MO/Lutheran South) kill. The Panthers took a three-point lead before Webster would close to 20-19. After a service ace by Kelsey Hamann (SO, Waterloo, IL/Waterloo) gave Webster a 23-22 lead, Greenville tied it but a kill by Jory Siebenmorgen (SR, Eureka, MO/Eureka) gave Webster set point at 24-23. Greenville would take the next three points for the set win, 26-24.
After a 2-2 tie to start the set, the Gorloks took charge in the second, taking a 10-4 lead. The closest the Panthers would come the rest of the way was within three points as Webster won, 25-21, to tie the match. In set three, Greenville had a three-point lead at 15-12, but the next largest lead throughout the set by was two points. Greenville was up at 24-22, but it took four different set points before Webster finally fell, 25-27, as the Panthers took a 2-1 lead.
In set four, the Gorloks led 13-9 and 18-14 before the Panthers clawed back to 23-22. A Greenville service error put Webster at set point, 24-22, but a Panthers kill made it 24-23 before Siebenmorgen ended it with a kill for Webster, 25-23. The teams headed into the tie-breaker set.
Once again, the teams battled tooth and nail, and were tied at 10-10. Three straight Panther attack errors gave Webster a 13-10 lead, but a pair of Greenville kills made it 13-12 and prompted a timeout by Webster coach Merry Graf. Another Siebenmorgen kill made it match point at 14-12, but an attack error gave Greenville one last hope as they closed to 14-13. An Emily Knowles (SR, Belleville, IL/Mascoutah) kill finished off the set, 15-13, and the match.
Siebenmorgen finished with a season personal and season team-high 17 kills in the match and had a .371 attack percent. She also had a season personal and season team-high nine block assists, along with a block solo. Knowles wound up with 12 kills and a sparkling .571 attack pct. She also had two solo blocks and three block assists on the night.
Samantha Budrovich (SO, St. Louis, MO/Lutheran South) had 11 kills and a .346 atttack pct. and Torie Grassi (SO, St. Louis, MO/Rosati-Kain) had nine kills and a .368 pct. Ashley Robinson (JR, Bloomington, IL/Bloomington) had a team-high 25 assists and 17 digs in the match. Hamann wound up with 24 assists and 15 digs on the night.
Westminster College leads the SLIAC at 9-0, followed by Webster at 8-2 and Greenville at 7-2. The Gorloks are now 12-6 overall. Webster has a week off before hosting Spalding University (KY) on October 7 at Grant Gymnasium.
