Fulton, Mo 9/14/2022- The Westminster volleyball team had its home opener Tuesday night as they welcomed the Stephens College Stars to the Historic Gym. There was an electric crowd in attendance to watch the Blue Jays for the first time this season. The game did not start out great for the Jays losing the first set 25-10 and then the second set 25-19. They would then turn things around to win the next three sets, 25-16, 25-23, and 15-10 to win the match 3-2. Westminster improves to 6-3 on the year and Stephens falls to 6-6.
Stephens would dominate the first set after Westminster got out to an early 6-3 lead. The Stars would outscore the Blue Jays twenty-two to four. They ended the set scoring seven unanswered points and holding the Blue Jay attack to only ten points in the set.
In the second set, the Stars jumped out to a 7-3 lead, and it was looking like it was going to be an early night for the Blue Jays. The Jays would rally to make it close at 15-13, the Stars could hold them off just enough to win the set 25-19.
Things were looking bleak as Westminster entered the third set down 2-0 and needed to win this set in order to force a fourth and possible fifth set. The Blue Jays refusing to be swept in their first match in front of the home crowd would get a 5-2 lead to start the set. Stephens cut the lead to two at 10-8. The Jays would rattle off five straight points to give them some breathing room at 21-12. They would go on and close out the set 25-16 for their first set win of the night.
Now down 2-1, The Blue Jays needed to continue to rally to stay in the match. The Stars got off to a fast start, going up 3-1. Westminster would tie at 4-4. The two teams would exchange the lead three times and tie five times throughout the set. Stephens got to 23-21 and were looking to put Westminster away for good. It was not to be. Freshman Mackenzie Lowder (St. Clair, MO / St. Clair) and senior Haley Menke (O'Fallon, Mo. / Fort Zumwalt West) got together for an enormous block to keep the hope alive. The next point Malena Bixby (New Berlin, IL / New Berlin) made that hope a reality with a block of her own to tie the set 23 all. Gracie Henrikson (Athens, IL / Athens) would get an ace to give the Jays a 24-23 lead! Westminster would win the set on the next play after an attacking error by Stephens.
Somehow, the Blue Jays somehow forced a fifth set after being down 2-0 early and coming back to tie 2-2. The comeback was not yet complete, as there was still work to be done to win the home opener. Bixby put the Jays up 1-0 on a huge hit, Mackenzie Lowder followed with one of her own and before you could blink, they were up 4-0 in the set. Stephens counted the lead back to one at 7-6. The two teams would answer each other point for point until it was 12-10 Westminster. Payton Bledsoe (Mexico, Mo/ Mexico) got a kill to make it 13-10, the Stars would hit it out to make 14-10, the Bixby completed the comeback with a monster kill for the set win 15-10, and match win 3-2.
Bixby led the offense with a team high seventeen kills and nineteen points, Menke had ten kills for 11.5 points and she would also have three block assists. Kate Rable (Saint Peters, Mo. / Fort Zumwalt South) collected thirty-seven assists. Henrickson picked up eighteen digs.
The Blue Jays will be back in action Friday and Saturday when they compete in the Hanover College tournament.
