ST. LOUIS, Mo. – The Webster University volleyball team earned a straight-set victory over Rose-Hulman on Thursday night at Grant Gym, taking the match by scores of 25-17, 25-22 and 25-18 to improve to 8-9 overall.
The Gorloks set the tone early in the opening set, jumping out to a 6-1 lead behind an efficient offensive attack. Webster continued to build its advantage, extending the lead to 9-3. The Gorloks maintained control throughout the set, using timely kills and strong play at the net to close out a 25-17 win. Webster recorded 16 kills while hitting .317 in the opening frame.
The second set featured a battle, with Webster establishing an early 4-0 advantage. Rose-Hulman responded to keep the set close, eventually tying the score at 12-12. The teams continued trading points before the Gorloks created separation late in the set. With the score tied at 15-15, Webster put together a key stretch to take control and move ahead 20-15. The Fightin' Engineers made another push, but the Gorloks held on for a 25-22 victory to take a 2-0 lead in the match.
Webster carried that momentum into the third set, gradually building an advantage after an early back-and-forth start. The Gorloks moved ahead 6-3 and continued to apply pressure, extending the lead to 12-7 midway through the set. Rose-Hulman tried to close the gap, but Webster answered with another strong stretch to maintain its cushion. The Gorloks ultimately finished off the sweep with a 25-18 win, recording nine kills in the final set.
Mea Bystrom led the Webster offense with nine kills on a .444 hitting percentage, adding two service aces and three total blocks. Leah McGrath finished with six kills, while Carley Hersberger and Karen Lewis each recorded five kills. Hersberger added two total blocks, and Lewis contributed two blocks of her own.
Emma Price directed the offense with 16 assists, while Addison Urbanski added 13 assists and four kills. The Gorloks finished with 36 kills and a .270 hitting percentage, committing just six attack errors across the match.
Defensively, Lexi Filkins paced Webster with 14 digs, followed by Lilly Bott with nine and Urbanski with seven. Webster also recorded seven service aces and seven total blocks while limiting Rose-Hulman to a .124 hitting percentage.
The Gorloks return to action on Saturday, October 17, when they host Lyon at 10 a.m. and Spalding at 2 p.m. for a tri-match at Grant Gym. This tri-match will be Webster's annual Dig Pink Match.
