Westminster volleyball's winning streak was snapped by the #3 team in Division III, the Washington University Bears. The 3-1 loss brings the Westminster Blue Jays to 17-6 on the season, ending their 11-game winning streak. Hannah Marshall broke into the 100 Ace Club as just a sophomore during the four set match.
The Bears were ranked number one for the previous two weeks before falling to number three in the Tuesday's ranking.
The Blue Jays took the first set from Bears 25-18. The Bears won the next three to win the match (25-16, 25-18, 25-21).
Freshman Bridget Ringwald put up two service aces in the beginning of set one to help the Blue Jays to a 7-3 lead. The Bears called a timeout and earned the next point off a Blue Jay service error. Washington brought the game within three points, 9-6, but a kill by Marshall struck a three-point run. The Blue Jays continued to run up the score and after a kill by freshman Micha Frasher, the Bears called their second timeout.
The team came out of the timeout and recorded a kill by junior Amanda Kiso and an ace by Marshall. The Bears chipped away at the lead and brought the game within three (19-16) before the Blue Jays called a timeout. Coming out of the timeout, senior Lexi Collier and junior Kayla Reeg put down kills to take the 21-16 lead. The Blue Jays closed out the match with the 25-18 win.
The Bears quickly took the lead in set two and went up 5-2. The Blue Jays brought the game within one after a kill by freshman Nikki Testerman and a Bears' attack error, but a service error followed by three attack errors forced the team to call a timeout. The Blue Jays lagged behind the Bears and were unable to even out the score, ending the second set with a 25-16 loss.
The Bears jumped out to a 4-0 lead to start set three, but the Blue Jays came back to within one (10-9) with a kill by Marshall. The Blue Jays stayed within two, but the Bears sparked a four-point run to go up 17-11 before the Blue Jays called a timeout. The Bears maintained their healthy lead and after a Bears' block and a Blue Jay attack error, the Blue Jays called their second timeout. The Bears continued their four-point run coming out of the timeout to bring them within one to win the set, 24-15. Kiso put down a kill to stop the Bears from winning, and an ace by Marshall brought the score to 24-17. Testerman then had a kill, but the Bears at last had a kill to end the set, 25-18.
The Bears jumped out to an 11-4 lead in set four before the Blue Jays called a timeout. The team went up by eight, 17-9, but kills by Collier, Reeg and Frasher brought the set within six, 20-14. Marshall had two kills along with a Bears' attack error to bring the game within four, 23-19. The Bears grabbed a kill to go up 24-19, but then served into the net. Marshall then hit her 100th career ace. The Bears called a timeout then ended the set and match with a kill.
The Blue Jays held the Bears, currently ranked #4 in the nation for hitting percentage, to a .183 team hitting percentage.
Marshall led the attack with 12 kills and four service aces. Testerman recorded 8 kills while Kiso had 7. Reeg posted 34 assists on the match while recording 12 digs. Frasher and Testerman also recorded 12 digs. Collier finished with 3 blocks.
The Blue Jays travel east this weekend for three matches. They first play Hanover on Friday, October 23, at 7:00 pm EST. They then play Spalding and Transylvania on Saturday, October 24.
