Greenville, IL 10/7/2022- The Westminster College volleyball team locked horns with the Greenville University Panthers Friday night in a battle of the two top teams in the SLIAC. Coming into the game the Panthers were undefeated in the conference at 5-0 and 11-5 on the season. The Blue Jays entered the match 7-1 in the SLIAC and 14-7 on the season. The match did not disappoint and was as-billed with the Panthers winning the five-set heavyweight bout 3-2 (25-21,16-25,21-25,25-21 and 10-15). The Panthers survived a very game Blue Jay squad to move to 6-0 in the SLIAC and 12-5 overall on the season. The Blue Jays fall to 7-2 in the conference and 14-8 overall.
Westminster came out swinging and won the first set 25-21. The Panthers responded and showed why they were picked to win the conference winning the second and third sets (16-25,25-21). The Blue Jays would win a very close fourth set 25-21. The Panthers would get an early lead in the fifth set and never let the Blue Jays tie the set. They held at least a one-point lead for most of the set. The Blue Jays scored back-to-back points to make it 10-11 and had a chance to tie it. Unfortunately, the Panthers would score four unanswered points to win the set 15-10.
The Blue Jays were led by their freshman middle Meghan Nolte (Wentzville, MO / Wentzville) who posted a career-high 12 kills. Seniors Haley Menke (O'Fallon, Mo. / Fort Zumwalt West) and Eryka Wanyonyi (Columbia, MO/ Hickman) both had 10 kills. Kirsten Schrader (Imperial, MO / St. Pius X) had a team high 17 digs. Wanyonyi had 15 digs and collected another double-double on the season. Setter Kate Rable (Saint Peters, Mo. / Fort Zumwalt South) would also post a double-double with 18 assists and 10 digs.
The Blue Jays will be back in action tomorrow, Saturday, October 8th as they will stay the night in Illinois and travel to Eureka, Illinois to compete in the Eureka College tri-match. They will take on Spalding University at 12:00 PM in a rematch from the Westminster tri-match that saw the Golden Eagles come out on top. The Blue Jays will then take on the Red Devils at 2:00 PM.
