The Webster University volleyball team got into the win column with a 3-0 victory over Iowa Wesleyan University, on September 5, at Grant Gymnasium. The Gorloks start 1-0 in the SLIAC as well, with the 25-21, 25-14, 25-23 win.
Webster fell behind, 3-0, in the opening set but a dink by Taylor Kissel (SO, St. Louis, MO/Lutheran South) tied it up at 3-3. A pair of kills by Samantha Kruse (FR, Waterloo, IL/Waterloo) helped edge Webster in front, 12-9, but the Gorloks found themselves trailing at 17-16. A kill by Emi Beining (SR, Festus, MO/Lutheran South) tied it up and Webster took a 22-18 lead, helped in part by a kill by Macee Owen (JR, Tuscon, AZ/Empire). Another kill by Owen made it 24-21 as the Gorloks took the set, 25-21.
Set two was not quite the challenge as the Gorloks built a 9-2 lead early. The Tigers hung around and closed within 15-11 before the Gorloks pulled away, 25-14. Webster bumped up its attack percent from .135 in the first set to .205 in the second.
Webster fell behind early in the third set, 2-3, but built a 12-7 lead as Owen had four of five Gorlok points in the run on kills. Iowa Wesleyan fought back, though, and tied the set at 14-14. Kills by Kruse, Maria Soffner (SR, Creve Coeur, MO/Incarnate Word Academy), and Owen all gave Webster one point leads only to see the set remain tied, at 20-20. Three straight Tiger errors gave Webster some breathing room at 23-20 and a Beining kill helped the Gorloks close out the match with a 25-23 win.
The Gorloks had an attack percent of .294 in the set and finished at .200 for the night. Owen and Kruse had nine kills to lead Webster in the match, and Kelsey Hamann (JR, Waterloo, IL/Waterloo) had a team-high 19 assists. Soffner had 16 digs to lead Webster and Izzy Carroll (JR, Bloomington, IL/Bloomington) had 13. Soffner also had two service aces in the contest.
The Gorloks are 1-0 in the SLIAC and 1-3 overall. Webster hosts Eureka College (IL) and Principia College (IL) in a quad on September 9 at Grant. Blackburn College will also participate, with matches vs. Eureka and Principia only. Blackburn then returns to Grant on September 13 to play Webster.
