JACKSONVILLE, Ill. - The Webster University volleyball team opened the 2024 season at the 2024 Illinois College Invitational with a pair of matches Friday night. The Gorloks defeated the Eagles of UW-Lacrosse by the final score of 3-1 followed by a three-set battle over Dominican University. 

Match #1: Webster 3, UW-Lacrosse 1   

The Gorloks started the match on a 8-0 run led by service hand of Ellie Biedenstein as Megan Zablonski recorded two kills. Webster extended the lead to double-digits at 12-2 on a block by first-year Leah McGrath. The Eagles countered with a 5-2 run and cut the lead down to seven at 15-8. 

For the next eight points, Webster and UW-Lacrosse each scored four points apiece that generated an eight-point Gorlok advantage at 19-11. However, the Eagles countered with a 6-2 run that cut the Gorlok lead down to four at 21-17. In return, Grace White started a 4-2 run with a kill when Zablonski closed out the opening set with back-to-back kills to the score 25-19. 

Webster started the second set off with the advantage on a kill from first-year Eva Tarlos. However, the Eagles erupted for a 7-1 run that eventually halted on a kill from Alyssa Jones that made the score 3-7. The Eagles extended their lead to 11-6 but after a kill from Jaycee Lewis, Tarlos cut the deficit down to 9-12 by recording a solo block and kill. The Eagles closed out the set on a 13-3 run to take the set.   

The third set started off on a much even balance as both teams rallied to a 6-6 tied. After back-to-back points by UW-Lacrosse, Webster opened up the set with a 10-3 run to the score 16-11 on seven Eagles errors and kills from Lauren Harms and White. Each team responded with separate 3-0 runs when Olivia Powell generated the five-point Gorlok lead to 19-14 with a kill. Both teams continued to go back and forth but Webster capitalized on back-to-back kills from Powell and Jones and took the third set by the score of 25-19.
   
The Eagles jumped out to an early 7-3 lead but the Gorloks responded with an identical run that tied the set at ten apiece as Harms added two kills in the run. The battle continued as both teams rallied to a 17-16 Webster advantage. The Gorloks closed out the match on a 8-1 run that included three kills by Harms and three service aces from White. 

On the offensive side of the net, three student-athletes in Harms, White, and Zablonski each recorded eight kills while Harms led the team with three service aces as Biedenstein and Delaney Morio combined for 30 assists. Defensively, the Gorloks were led by Lewis with 11 digs while Biedenstein collected eight. Jones led with two blocks as Powell and White each eliminated one attack. 

Match #2: Webster 3, Dominican 0

The second match of the evening started off with a 7-2 Gorlok run that included two service aces from Tarlos and a kill from both by Biedenstein and White. Webster extended the lead to double-digits at 13-3 with a 5-0 run that included kills from Harms and Powell and a service ace from Morio.

However, the Stars countered with ten unanswered points that tied the set at 13 apiece. The Gorloks fought back with a 5-2 run that made the score 18-15 that featured two kills from Jones and a service ace from Lewis. Dominican regained the lead with a 5-0 run to the score 18-20. The Gorloks closed out the set on a 7-1 run as White added two more kills to the score 25-21. 

Zablonski opened the second set scoring for the Gorloks with a kill but the Stars answered with four straight points to the early 4-1 lead. Webster immediately took action with a 5-0 run that was started on back-to-back kills from McGrath and ended with a kill by Powell that made the score 7-4. 

The Stars and Gorloks battled to a four-point Webster lead at 10-6 before Dominican answered with nine consecutive points to the score 10-15. The Gorloks continued to fight and responded with a 4-0 run that included kills from Jones and Powell that made the score 14-15. Both teams rallied back and forth to the one-point Webster deficit at 17-18. The Stars gained the momentum with a 4-1 run that made the score 18-22. 

The Gorloks immediately flipped momentum on their side with a 5-0 run as Webster took the 23-22 lead. Dominican achieved set-point at 24-23 but tied the set at 24 apiece on a service error. Morio gave the Gorloks the advantage with a service ace when Powell ended the set with a set-winning kill. 

In the third set, Webster got out to an early 5-1 advantage that started on back-to-back kills from Tarlos as White and McGrath each added one in the run. The Stars cut the lead down to one at 6-5 with a 4-1 run. Both teams battled and exchanged points to a four-point Webster advantage at 10-8. The Stars responded with a 6-0 run that was snapped on a kill from Zablonski that made the score 11-14. 

The game of runs continued as the Gorloks went on a 5-1 run that included four Stars turnovers which tied the set at 16 apiece. Dominican took a late 17-20 with a 4-1 run that was snapped by a Morio kill that made the score 18-20. The Stars took a three-point advantage at 22-19 before the Gorloks had a late offensive rally and closed out the match with a 6-1 run that featured kills from Zablonski, Tarlos, and White. 

For the match, the Gorloks were led by White with eight kills as Jones added seven. Defensively, Lauren Peterson collected a team-high six digs while Powell paced with three blocks.  

The Gorloks will play their final match of the Illinois College Invitation on August 31 against Carroll University starting at 10:00 AM.