(Some information courtesy of the SLIAC Sports Information)
The Webster University volleyball team hopes to make some noise in the St. Louis Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Tournament after getting nosed out of first place in the final game of the regular season. The Gorloks held onto or shared first place the entire season until losing their final match at Westminster College, as the Blue Jays took the regular season crown.
Webster hopes to take home the bigger prize...the SLIAC Tournament title and its ticket to the NCAA III Championships. Here is a preview of this year's tournament. All students making the trip to Fulton will be admitted free with a valid Webster I.D.
At A Glance
For nearly a month the field for the St. Louis Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Volleyball Tournament has been set and finally this weekend the four teams will take the court to determine the 2017 Champion. This year's field includes Greenville University, Principia College, Webster University, and Westminster College and the tournament will be hosted by Westminster on Saturday, November 4th in Fulton, Mo.Â
Tournament Schedule
Saturday, November 4 hosted by Westminster College
Game 1 - #1 Westminster vs. #4 Principia, 2 p.m.
Game 2 - #2 Greenville vs. #3 Webster, 4 p.m.
Championship Game - Winner of Game 1 vs. Winner of Game 2, 7 p.m.
Collegecasts Championship Game Broadcast link
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WEBSTER UNIVERSITY 'GORLOKS'
Webster has never missed a SLIAC tournament field, including all 14 since the conference went to a four-team format, and has won eight of the last 11. The Gorloks managed to put together a 10 match win streak earlier this year, nine of which were conference matches. Webster ranks 3rd in the conference in kills at 10.79 per set and hit .137 as a team. The Gorloks also rank 2nd in digs per set (19.06) and total blocks (174). Torie Grassi leads the team with 207 kills, while they have five other players with more than 100 kills on the year. Their two-setter system is run by Kelsey Hamann (4.48 a/s) and Ashley Robinson (3.74 a/s) while Jenna Rodriguez can provide a spark off the bench. Defensively the Gorloks are led by Maria Soffner, with 528 total digs this year. Emi Beining and Rachel Mencel provide the net defense. Webster finished the regular season 15-3 in the SLIAC and is 17-13 overall.
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GREENVILLE UNIVERSITY 'PANTHERS'
Greenville began the year with seven straight wins and later in the season would add a ten-match winning streak. Along the way, Head Coach Tom Ackerman recorded his 300th coaching victory as the team is making their 11th straight tournament appearance. Greenville is averaging 12.56 kills per set, tops in the SLIAC, and are hitting .211 as a team. They are also first in total blocks with 913 and service aces with 224. Senior Allyson Mitchell is leading the team with 3.71 kills per set and also averages 2.97 digs per set with 66 aces. Anna Finch has made an immediate impact as a freshman, hitting .384 this fall with 2.53 kills per set and 81 total blocks. Brittni Bell joins Finch to form a strong middle, leading the team with 85 total blocks. |
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PRINCIPIA COLLEGE 'PANTHERS'
It has been a memorable season for Principia. They had their best start to a season since 2006, going 15-2 in the month of September; Head Coach Mary Ann Sprague not only notched her 300th coaching win but also became the program's leader in wins, and they secured their first postseason berth since 2013. The Panthers rank 2nd in the league in kills per set behind the duo of Sophia Hathaway (3.76) and Emily Tippetts (3.53). Sophomore setter Devon Marunde ranks second in the SLIAC at 8.79 assists per set, but is well-rounded; with 58 kills and 423 digs this season as well. The Panthers run a defensive scheme that focuses on keeping the ball alive, averaging 26.03 digs per set with Mia Gill sitting atop the conference rankings at 6.72 per set.
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WESTMINSTER COLLEGE 'BLUE JAYS'
After starting the year with a 2-7 record, Westminster put together an eight match win streak mid-way through the season to turn the year around. The Blue Jays have now won seven of their last eight matches as they come into the tournament as the #1 seed. The Blue Jays are hitting .171 as a team and average 10.73 kills per set. Ashley Kistaitis (299 kills) is one of three players with more than 200 kills this season; Hannah Marshall and Natalie Needy are the other two. Teresa Becker leads the conference at 9.50 assists per set while Bridge Ringwald leads the team with 477 digs. A trio of freshman, Sarah Rivers, Natalie Needy, and Allie Kennebeck, led the Blue Jays in blocks this fall.
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