On Senior Night, the Webster University women's volleyball team gave those players nearing the end of their Gorlok careers a win, 3-0, over Harris-Stowe State, on October 12 at Grant Gymnasium. The Gorloks won 25-18, 25-22, and 25-16, making for a happy ending for the night's festivities.
In
set one, the score went back and forth as the it was tied, 10-10. Webster went on a 4-0 run for 14-10 lead. The Gorloks still led be four at 18-14, and the Hornets called a timeout with Webster still up by four at 20-16. A Harris-Stowe error and Taylor Kissel (SO, St. Louis, MO/Lutheran South) spike put Webster at set point at 24-17. After a Webster error, a service error by Harris-Stowe made a winner out of the Gorloks in the set, 25-18.
Set two found Webster behind at 11-8 before the Gorloks had a 4-0 run, started by an Emi Beining (SR, Festus, MO/Lutheran South) kill, to take a 12-11 lead. The Hornets kept buzzing around, and were tied with the Gorloks at 13-13, 15-15, 17-17, and 19-19. After Harris-Stowe took a 21-19 lead, Webster called a timeout, and went on a 4-1 run to pull ahead, 23-22, forcing a Hornet timeout. A point off a block by Rachel Mencel (SR, Colchester, IL/West Prairie)and Torie Grassi (JR, St. Louis, MO/Rosati-Kain) made it 24-22, and Samantha Budrovich (JR, St. Louis, MO/Lutheran South) ended the set with a kill, 25-22. Webster was up 2-0.
The Hornets took a 4-0 lead in
set three, but the Gorloks clawed back and were leading 13-8 when Harris-Stowe would call a timeout. Webster extended the lead to 15-8 out of the timeout. Webster still led at 18-10 as the Gorloks freely subbed on Senior Night. Webster closed the set out at 25-16, and the match at 3-0.
Macee Owen (SR, Tucson, AZ/Empire) led Webster with seven kills as 16 players saw the court, with 12 having kills. Maria Soffner (SR, St. Louis, MO/Incarnate Word Academy) led with 9 digs and Ashley Robinson (SR, Bloomington, IL/Bloomington) led with 13 assists. Mencel had a solo block and five block assists.
The Gorloks honored eight seniors in a ceremony before the match. Stefanie Swan (Hoffman Estates, IL/Hoffman Estates), Soffner, Owen, Mencel, Beining, Robinson, Hannah Rowold (Piedmont, MO/Clearwater), and Drew Myers (Lesterville, MO/Lesterville) were are all honored.
Harris-Stowe State Hornets is an NAIA member, and the only non-NCAA III opponent on the Gorloks 2017 schedule.
The Gorloks were coming off a huge conference road victory, winning at Principia College in a tie-breaker to go to 13-1 in the SLIAC. Webster is now 15-6 overall. Webster jumps back into SLIAC action with matches vs. Westminster College and host Spalding University on October 14 in Louisville, KY.
