Red Devils Drop Two in SLIAC Opener at Westminster

FULTON, Mo. – The Eureka women's volleyball team opened SLIAC play on Saturday, dropping a pair of matches to Lyon and Westminster.

Game 1: Lyon 3, Eureka 0

Eureka (3-6, 0-1 SLIAC) fell to Lyon (5-7, 1-1 SLIAC) in straight sets, 25-16, 27-25, 25-21, following a slow start to the match.

Lyon jumped out early in the first set, using a 7-2 run to build separation and never looked back. The second set was much closer, featuring multiple ties and lead changes. Eureka erased a late deficit and even held set point at 24-23, but Lyon responded with back-to-back kills and a service ace to steal the frame 27-25. The third set stayed tight until the final points, when Lyon capitalized on a pair of Eureka errors to close out the match.

Alyssa Company (Lincoln, Ill./Lincoln Community) led Eureka with six kills, seven digs, and two blocks. Brooklyn Shell (Evansville, Ind./Mount Vernon) added six kills, while Hallee Gauna (Arcola, Ill./Arcola) chipped in four kills on .333 hitting. Kaitlyn Robinson (Macomb, Ill./Macomb) and Bre Dixon (Newark, Ill./Newark Community) combined for 22 assists, and Cloee O'Donoghue (Emden, Ill./Hartsburg-Emden) posted a team-high 15 digs.

Game 2: Westminster 3, Eureka 0

In the second match, Eureka fell to Westminster (14-5, 2-1 SLIAC) by scores of 25-11, 25-20, 25-14.

The Blue Jays controlled the first set with a dominant .447 hitting percentage and a 10-2 run midway through. Eureka fought back in the second, using strong serving and five team blocks to tie the set up at 18-18 before Westminster pulled away with a late surge. The third set saw Westminster's offense take over again, as they closed the match on a 9-2 run on their way to a 25-14 set win.

Company paced the Red Devils with five kills, five service aces, and three blocks. Shell and Frannie Heckman (Benson, Ill./Roanoke-Benson) each added three kills, while Lexi Liaromatis (Wilmington, Ill./Wilmington) and O'Donoghue combined for nine digs. Robinson and Dixon distributed eight assists apiece.

UP NEXT

Eureka will look to bounce back on Saturday when they travel to Greenville, for a tri-match against MUW at 12:00 p.m. and Greenville at 2:00 p.m.