For the second consecutive season the Webster University volleyball team opened its year with a victory. On Wednesday night it was a 3-0 victory over the University of Health Sciences and Pharmacy in St. Louis; winning 25-16, 25-15, and 25-13.

Webster shook off a little season opening jitters, against an opponent with six matches already played, overcoming a 5-2 deficit to start the match. Down 8-5 in the opening set the Gorloks got the opening they needed when the Eutectics committed back-to-back errors. The Gorloks drew the first, and only, tie of the set when Ali Spohr delivered an ace to draw the score even at 8-8. The Gorloks took their first lead of the match when Madison Katz sent an overall that dropped in along the line, giving the Gorloks the momentum; one they would carry on the rest of the night. The Gorlok defense gave them a 10-8 lead when Mary Nelson and Kaylee Portell teamed up for the first of two team blocks on the night. Spohr added to the run with another ace while Portell picked up a solo block that capped a 7-0 run. The Gorloks would roll off a 13-3 run in the set to take control, holding a commanding 20-11 lead as they cruised to a 25-16 opening set win. 

Set two saw the Gorloks carry the momentum, jumping out to a 7-1 lead. Mary Nelson started the set with back-to-back kills, later adding an ace, while Lauren Borik picked up two kills of her own during the run. Borik, the defending conference Player of the Year, was not needed much on the night but still managed to tie for the team lead with 7 kills on just 13 swings. The visitors closed the score to within three points on two occasions in the set, but Webster held off any attempts at a comeback thanks to an 8-0 run that made the score 20-7. During that run the Gorloks took advantage of five opponent errors with Portell putting down a pair of kills for the home team. The Gorloks saw Gabi Saldana and Katie Eskildson come off the bench and immediately add to the scoring with kills on their first swings of the season on their way to a 25-15 set win.

The third and final set saw the Eutectics take a 2-0 lead, but it was senior Ali Spohr that got the Gorloks back on track. Spohr attacked on the second touch of a rally, putting the surprise ball down for the Gorloks first point of the set. That was enough to spark the Gorloks, who followed with a Nelson kill that tied it up. Spohr added another kill a short while later, boosting the Gorloks lead to 5-3; a lead they would not relinquish. The Gorloks hit a match-high .375 in the set with 14 kills and just 2 errors as they closed out the match with a 25-13 win.

Webster hit .280 as a team in the match, tallying 35 kills and committing just 9 attack errors. An even more impressive stat was the Gorloks serving, recording 7 aces and just 1 error on the night. Along with Borik, Mary Nelson had a team-high 7 kills while Katz finished with 6 kills in her Gorlok debut. Another sign that head coach Merry Graf will like is the fact that her offense came from everywhere on the court as four players finished with at least five assists; led by Mary Nelson's 9. Nelson added three service aces as did Spohr while Borik recorded a team high 11 digs and Kyra Gensel finished with 10 digs.

Webster is back in action this weekend when they compete in the Washington University Invitational. They are set to play two matches on both Friday and Saturday. Friday's opponents will be Lewis & Clark College at 2 p.m. and Carroll University at 4 p.m. On Saturday they will face UT Dallas at 10:30 a.m. and Centre College at 12:30 p.m.