Memphis, TN, 9/11/21 – The Westminster College volleyball team had a tall order on the start of the second day of the Rhodes Classic.  They were going to face the hosts in their first game of the day.  The Blue Jays won sets two and three after dropping the opener and looked poised to close it out in set number four but the hosts rallied back to take the fourth set and kept their momentum going into the fifth set to defeat the Jays 3-2 (19-25, 25-3, 25-22, 19-25, 5-15).  It was their fourth consecutive five set match.  The loss dropped the Blue Jays to 2-3 on the young season.

Eryka Wanyonyi (Columbia, MO / Hickman) and Haley Menke (O'Fallon, MO / Fort Zumwalt West) continued their torrid play with 18 and 15 kills to lead the Blue Jay attack. Sophomore right side hitter Emma Geier (Versailles, MO / Morgan R2) hit a team high .308.  Gretchen Durbala (Burlington, IA / Burlington) recorded 35 Assists.  Erica Schrader (Imperial, MO / St. Pius X) led the defense with 13 digs and Wanyonyi chipped in 10 digs.  The Blue Jays were led at the net by senior middle blocker Claire Whitehouse(St. Louis, MO / Parkway Central) with one block solo and three block assists followed by junior middle blocker Payton Bledsoe (Mexico, MO - Mexico) who recorded two solo blocks and one block assist.

The Blue Jays will be back in action later on Saturday as they wrap up play in the Rhodes College Classic when they take on the Texas Lutheran University Bulldogs in a match scheduled for first serve at 1:00 p.m.