WEBSTER GROVES - Webster University Volleyball used a season-high 17 kills from senior outside hitter Torie Grassi (St. Louis, Mo./Rosati-Kain) here Tuesday evening en route to posting a four-set victory over Eureka College (25-16, 25-19, 23-25, 25-13) in St. Louis Intercollegiate Athletic Conference action at Grant Gymnasium.

With the victory, Webster snaps its three match losing skid and improves its record to 4-6 overall and 2-2 in the SLIAC, while Eureka falls to 2-11 overall and 1-6 in the SLIAC.

In addition to Grassi's 17 kills, sophomore outside hitter Samantha Kruse (Waterloo, Ill./Waterloo) added 11 kills and 19 digs for her sixth double-double of the season, while senior right side hitter Samantha Budrovich (St. Louis, Mo./Lutheran South) and junior middle hitter Taylor Kissel (St. Louis, Mo./Lutheran South) each had eight kills on the night. Budrovich added 12 digs for her third double-double of the year.

While Webster's offense was strong in the four-set match, its defense was even stronger as the Gorloks held Eureka to an .085 attack percentage and they also recorded 118 digs, including a match-high 43 digs from sophomore libero Kristen Farrah (St. Charles, Mo./Francis Howell). Farrah entered the match leading NCAA Division III in digs per set as she is now averaging 8.62 digs per set.

Along with Farrah, Kruse and Budrovich, two other Gorloks with double-digit digs as junior setter Jenna Rodriguez (Smithton, Ill./Freeburg) had a career-high 21 digs and added 19 assists for her fourth double-double and senior setter Kelsey Hamann (Waterloo, Ill./Waterloo) added 11 digs and 22 assists for her seventh double-double.

In the opening set, Webster jumped out to a 9-2 lead and led 13-6 when Eureka used a 6-1 run to pull within 14-12. After the Gorloks scored three straight points to take a 17-12 lead, the Red Devils used a kill from Caitlin Miller to pull within 17-13. WU, though, would outscore Eureka 8-3 to close out the set and post a 25-16 win. In the set, Webster hit .200 and Eureka hit .040. 

The second set was a back-and-forth affair for a majority of the set as it featured 12 ties and eight lead changes. WU scored the set's first two points and led 6-4 when EC used a 9-6 run to take a 13-12 lead. A 3-1 run by the Gorloks gave them a 15-14 lead, before EC responded with a 4-1 run to take an 18-16 lead. That would be the Red Devils final lead of the game as the Gorloks used a 5-0 run capped by an ace from Kissel to give WU a 21-18 lead. After an attack error by the Gorloks dropped WU's lead to 21-19, Webster closed the set by scoring four straight points to seal its 25-19 set win and take a 2-0 lead in the match. In the set, WU outhit EC, .109 to .062.

After hitting under .100 in the first two sets, Eureka hit .275 and held WU to a .180 attack percentage as they earned a 25-23 win to force a fourth set. In the set, EU jumped out to a 12-8 lead and led 13-10 when the Gorloks used an 11-7 run capped by a kill from junior outside hitter Sarah Jacobs (Carbondale, Ill./Murphysboro) to give WU a 21-20 lead. The teams would then trade points until Eureka scored the final two points after the set was tied at 23 to seal its 25-23 win.

The fourth set belonged to Webster as the Gorloks jumped in front 8-3 amd led 9-4 when the Red Devils scored two straight points to pull within 9-6. WU would answer with a 10-3 run to push in front 19-9. The run was keyed by three kills from Grassi and capped on an ace by Farrah. EC would use an attack error by the Gorloks to pull within 19-10, before WU closed the set on a 6-3 run to seal its 25-13 set and match win. WU hit .222 in the set and the Red Devils hit -.086. 

Heather Robinson paced Eureka with 13 kills and hit .200, while Lexi Dooley added nine kills and 36 digs in the loss. Katlyn Arrenholz had 18 digs and 13 assists, while McKenna Cleer added 19 digs for the Red Devils.

Webster finished the night with a season-high tying seven aces as Farrah finished with a career-high tying three and Kruse added two for the match.

The Gorloks will return to non-conference action on Thursday, Sept. 20 as they travel up Big Bend Avenue for a 7 p.m. match against 10th-ranked Washington University in St. Louis on the WashU campus.