FULTON, Mo. - The Westminster volleyball team defeated the Webster Gorloks in three sets on Thursday night in a SLIAC matchup. The Blue Jays improve to 7-6 on the season and 5-1 in SLIAC play.
The Blue Jays and Gorloks traded points for the majority of the first set and neither team was able to build a lead greater than three points. After eight lead changes early in the set the Blue Jays trailed Webster 14-13. The Blue Jays proceeded to score four points on kills from Natalie Needy and Eryka Wanyonyi, a service ace from Needy and a Webster attack error to take a 17-14 lead. Although Webster was able to get close to tying the score serval times, Westminster never relinquished the lead and won the set 25-23.
In the second set Webster went ahead early 4-2. The Blue Jays responded with a seven-point rally to take a 9-4 lead highlighted by three service aces from Needy. Westminster closed out the set 25-16 to take a 2-0 lead in the match. Wanyonyi recorded eight kills in the set and Ashley Kistaitis recorded four kills.
In the third set the teams battled back-and-fourth with the lead changing frequently. With the score tied at 15-15 two errors and a kill by Sarah Rivers allowed the Blue Jays to go up 18-15. Webster responded with a kill before Westminster put the set out of reach with a Wanyoni kill, a block by Rivers and Payton Bledsoe and a service ace by Teresa Becker. The Blue Jays closed out the set on a kill by Needy to sweep the match 3-0.
Wanyonyi finished with a game-high 17 kills and added 11 digs. Kistaitis finished second the team with 11 kills and led the Blue Jays with 15 digs. Becker was the third Blue Jay to finish with a double-double, recording 34 assists and 10 digs. Erica Schrader was the fourth Westminster player to post double-digit dig totals finishing with 14.
The Blue Jays will remain at home to play against Greenville at 1 p.m. on Saturday.
