The Webster University volleyball team rolled over host Spalding University, 3-0, but lost a battle with Westminster College, 3-2, on October 14, in Louisville, KY. In what was a possible battle for sole possession of first place in the SLIAC, the Gorloks hung on to the top spot since the Blue Jays lost to fellow challenger, Greenville College, earlier in the day.
When the dust settled after the quad, the Gorloks were at 14-2 in the SLIAC, one half game ahead of the Blue Jays at 13-2. The Panthers have muscled their way into contention at 12-3, with another squad of Panthers...Principia College...lurking at 11-3.
Webster dealt quickly and efficiently with Spalding, winning in straight sets, 25-15, 25-9, and 25-11. Torie Grassi (JR, St. Louis, MO/Rosati-Kain) had nine kills and Samantha Kruse (FR, Waterloo, IL/Waterloo) had eight. The Gorloks blew away their previous high attack pct. in a match this season, .267, by hitting at a .438 clip against the Golden Eagles.
Kelsey Hamann (JR, Waterloo, IL/Waterloo) had a team-high 17 assists and Maria Soffner (SR, St. Louis, MO/Incarnate Word Academy) led with 18 digs. Emi Beining (SR, Festus, MO/Lutheran South) had two solo blocks and four block assists. The Gorloks then had to wait as Westminster and Greenville battled it out, with Greenville winning in a tie-breaker, 3-2.
Webster nipped Westminster in the
opening set, 25-19. The Gorloks came out strong on the attack again as they hit .243 for the set. The Blue Jays responded by winning a barn-burner in
set two, 26-24. Webster's hitting streak came to an end as the team hit at .024 to Westminster's .205. The Blue Jays only made four attack errors in the set.
Westminster took a 2-1 lead in
set three, winning 25-22, in another tight set. Webster picked up the pace themselves, only committing four attack errors in the set, but Westminster had only three as its attack hit at .263. Webster tied the match up with another slugfest in
set four, 25-23. This time it was the Gorloks turn to only commit three attack errors as it hit at a match-high .200 clip, setting up the tie-breaker.
The Blue Jays took the
tie-breaker, 15-11, as attack errors plagued the Gorloks in the short set, and won the match, 3-2.
Grassi had 13 kills to lead Webster and Kristen Farrah (FR, St. Charles, MO/Francis Howell) had 10. Hamann piled up 21 assists as Ashley Robinson (SR, Bloomington, IL/Bloomington) had 17. Soffner had 29 digs and Farrah was right behind at 27.
Beining had a season team-high nine block assists and Grassi had six, tying Beining for the second highest individual total in a match. Beining's nine block assists tied for the team record for a single match, last done by Jory Siebenmorgen last year vs. Greenville. The 26 team block assists easily surpassed the previous season high in the opener vs. Hope College. It was the third highest single match total in team history
Even though Westminster has not won a SLIAC title or tournament since 1999, the Blue Jays have finished no lower than third in the conference the past five years. While Webster holds a 37-18 series advantage over Westminster, the Blue Jays have won five of the last six meetings, with the Gorloks snapping a four-match losing streak in October 2016.
Webster is 14-2 in the SLIAC and 16-7 overall with the split. The Gorloks travel to Fulton, MO, to face Westminster (13-2, 14-9) on November 1 in their last scheduled regular season match.
Webster will host #20 ranked Washington University on October 17 for 'Dig Pink Night' at Grant Gymnasium. Various fund-raisers will take place that evening to help out in the fight against breast cancer as the Gorloks will don their pink uniforms.
