2/5/25 Fulton, MO – In a hard-fought five-set battle, the Westminster men's volleyball team came up just short against St. Mary-of-the-Woods, falling 3-2 (25-22, 9-25, 18-25, 25-21, 15-17) in their second home match of the season. 

The Blue Jays started strong, securing a 25-22 win in the opening set behind aggressive attacking from Aidan Ortmann and Dalio Taouil, who led the offense with 11 kills each. However, St. Mary-of-the-Woods responded with dominant performances in the second and third sets, capitalizing on Westminster's errors to take control of the match. Westminster regrouped in the fourth set, bouncing back with a 25-21 win to force a decisive fifth frame. The Blue Jays fought hard in a back-and-forth battle but ultimately fell just short in a 17-15 final set. 

Jake Schawo-McAlister was a key playmaker, dishing out 35 assists and adding six points of his own with two kills and three aces. Ortmann led the team with 14 total points, while Taouil contributed 12, adding 11 digs and a solo block to his stat line. Defensively, Ryan Rhodes and Adam Rosh kept the backcourt steady with nine and eight digs, respectively. 

Westminster (7-6) will look to bounce back when they hit the road to take on Wabash on February 13 at 6:00 p.m.