Fulton, MO, 10/29/21 – It was Senior Night 2021 for the Westminster College volleyball program. Three seniors; Erica Schrader (Imperial, MO / St. Pius X), Claire Whitehouse (St. Louis, MO / Parkway Central) and Gretchen Durbala (Burlington, IA / Burlington) were honored before the game against the Eureka College Red Devils. The Blue Jays would ride a career night and a record setting night from Whitehouse to a 3-0(25-15, 25-11, 25-16) straight set victory. Whitehouse, who had a senior night to remember, recorded a career high 13 kills and hit a program single game record .929. The old record was set by Brooke Zeilman against Stephens College when she hit .923 on September 8, 2006. The win improves the Blue Jays record to 13-14 overall and 9-2 in SLIAC play.
The Senior Night match got off to an appropriate start when Erica Schrader received the serve and passed it to Durbala who set Whitehouse for the first kill of her record-breaking night. The Blue Jays would break away late in the set for a 25-15 set one win and a 1-0 lead. The second set was dominated by the Blue Jays. The Blue Jays had 15 kills in the second set while committing only one error and hitting .667 as they ran away with the second set 25-11. Whitehouse had 11 kills in 11 attempts through two sets a sparkling 1.000 hitting percentage. She would have to tip a ball in the third set which would be the only attempt that she didn't record a kill. The third set saw just about every Blue Jay getting in on the action. Sophomore Abby Nelp (Jefferson City, Mo. / Jefferson City) ignited the team in the third set with back to back aces late in the set. The match ended just like it began with senior Durbala setting Whitehouse who put away her 13th kill, the third set 25-16 and the match 3-0.
The senior middle Claire Whitehouse and Haley Menke (O'Fallon, MO / Fort Zumwalt South) paced the offense with 13 kills each. The senior setter Gretchen Durbala would lead the Blue Jays in assists with 28. She has led the team in assists in 43 consecutive games. The senior libero Erica Schrader did what she has done throughout her whole career, she anchored the Blue Jay defense with a team high 12 digs. Freshman Sophie Reimer (St. Charles, MO / Lutheran) would record three service aces to lead the Blue Jays. The Blue Jays had 12 service aces on the night.
The Blue Jays have one more SLIAC regular season game on Tuesday night in St. Louis when they take on the Webster University Gorloks. The match is scheduled for a 7:00 p.m. first serve.
