Pella, Iowa 10/28/2022- The Westminster College volleyball team traveled to Pella, Iowa to compete in the Central College tournament this weekend. They took on Wheaton College in game one and would lose the match 3-1 (23-25,13-25,25-14,23-25). The Blue Jays are now 15-15 on the season and the Thunder improve to 11-15. The Jays are 9-5 in the SLIAC, and the Thunder are 2-6 in the CCIW.
Set one was a back-and-forth affair with both teams trading points and the lead back and forth for the first half of the set. There were four ties and five lead changes. Wheaton would begin to take control of the set, going on a 10-2 run to make it 15-8. The Jays would rally back and eventually tie the set again at 22-22. The Thunder would score three of the next four points and win set one 25-23.
Set two was very one-sided as Wheaton jumped out to an 11-5 lead and would run away with the set 25-13 and go up 2-0 in the match.
Refusing to be swept the Blue Jays responded in a big way and flipped the script in the third set. They would jump out to a big lead this time and start the set 12-2. They would win the set 25-14 and forced a fourth set.
The fourth set was much more like the first set than the second or third set. Both teams once again traded the lead with most of the set being tied. The Thunder would find some success in the middle of the set going on a 7-1 run and taking an 18-15 lead. Westminster got it to 23-22. Wheaton scored two of the next points and won the fourth set 25-23 and the match 3-1, narrowly avoiding having to play the fifth set.
The Blue Jay attack was led by Haley Menke (O'Fallon, Mo. / Fort Zumwalt West) who had thirteen kills in the match. Malena Bixby (New Berlin, IL/ New Berlin) would have nine kills in the match. Kate Rable (Saint Peters, Mo. / Fort Zumwalt South) led the way in assists with thirteen. Kirsten Schrader (Imperial, MO / St. Pius X) picked up nineteen digs and Rable would have eleven. Rable would have a double double.
Westminster will be back in action tomorrow for day two of the Central College tournament. They take on Nebraska Wesleyan at 1:00 PM and Luther College at 3:00 PM.
