Memphis, Tennessee 9/9/2022- The Westminster volleyball team traveled to Memphis, Tennessee this weekend to compete in the Rhodes College Classic. They will play in four games total, two on Friday and two on Saturday. Friday evening the Blue Jays faced off against the Wilmington Quakers (Ohio) and the hosts, Rhodes College. The Jays would split the games, winning against Wilmington 3-2 (19-25, 25-17, 25-21, 24-26, 17-15) in an action-packed five-set match. They would lose to Rhodes 3-1 (25-28, 25-21, 19-25, 15-25). Westminster is now 4-2 on the season and will face off against LeTourneau and Huntingdon on Saturday.
In game number one, Wilmington would win the first set 25-19. Westminster would win sets two and three, 25-17 and 25-21. Wilmington would win the fourth set 26-24. The Blue Jays would win the fifth set 17-15 after a back-and-forth battle between the two teams.
The Blue Jays showed a balanced attack with Eryka Wanyonyi (Columbia, MO) getting twelve kills, Malena Bixby (New Berlin, IL) getting eleven kills and Haley Menke (O'Fallon, Mo. / Fort Zumwalt West) rounded out the trio with ten kills of her own. Senior setter Kate Rable ( Saint Peters, Mo. / Fort Zumwalt South) led the team with twenty-five assists. Gracie Henrickson (Athens, IL / Athens) had twenty-four digs in the contest.
After the win, Westminster would change courts and prepare to face off against the hosts, Rhodes College, in game number two on Friday evening.
The first set saw both teams trade the lead back and forth. Ultimately, Rhodes would close out the first set 28-26. Westminster would respond by winning the second set 25-21. The Lynx would win the next two sets 25-19 and 25-15 to win the match 3-1.
Wanyonyi collected a team-high fourteen kills and Bixby would get double-digit kills as well with ten. Freshman Caitlyn Wheadon (St.Charles, MO / Francis Howell North) had a team-high nineteen assists.
The Blue Jays will be back in action on Saturday, September 10, 2022, for day number two of the Rhodes Classic. They will take on LeTourneau (TX) at 11 AM and Huntington at 2:00 PM
