Red Devils Drop Two at Webster

ST. LOUIS, Mo. – The Eureka women's volleyball team dropped a pair of conference matches on Saturday at Webster, falling in straight sets to Westminster and host Webster.

Game 1: Westminster 3, Eureka 0

In the opener, the Red Devils (7-15, 1-9 SLIAC) were swept by league-leading Westminster, 25-14, 25-7, 25-19. The Blue Jays (25-5, 11-1 SLIAC) hit a blistering .406 as a team and recorded 47 kills to Eureka's 16.

Sophomore Alyssa Company (Lincoln, Ill./Lincoln Community) led the Red Devils with six kills, three service aces, and three digs. Kaitlyn Robinson (Macomb, Ill./Macomb) added 10 digs, six assists and three aces, while Bre Dixon (Newark, Ill./Newark Community) chipped in four assists and four digs. Brooklyn Shell (Evansville, Ind./Mount Vernon) recorded two aces and had one kill, and Colbie Grieff (South Wilmington, Ill./Gardner South-Wilmington) contributed a kill, an ace, and a dig.

Eureka opened the match with a competitive first set, staying within striking distance early and pulling even at 3-3 after a kill by Company. However, the Blue Jays responded with a strong run to take control and claim the set 25-14. The Red Devils came out hot in the second, jumping to a 4-0 lead behind three straight service aces from Company, but Westminster quickly flipped the momentum and closed the set on a 21-3 run to win 25-7. In the third, Eureka battled back and forth with the Blue Jays, taking a 13-12 lead midway through the frame after a service ace by Shell. Despite the push, Westminster pulled away late to secure the sweep with a 25-19 win.

Game 2: Webster 3, Eureka 0

In the second match of the day, Eureka faced Webster and again fell in three sets, 25-21, 25-14, 25-18. The Gorloks (8-15, 5-6 SLIAC) used a strong service game to take control of the match, racking up 14 aces and 38 kills while hitting .204 as a team.

Dixon and Grieff paced Eureka with four kills apiece. Robinson dished out a team-high nine assists and added four digs and an ace. Shell notched two aces and three digs, while Claire Schaffner (Delavan, Ill./Delavan) tallied four assists and four digs. Maleaha Nagel (Abingdon, Ill./Abingdon-Avon) and Grieff each recorded four total points, with Nagel adding four kills and a block.

The Red Devils were within striking distance in the first set, tying the score 18-18 before Webster closed on a 7-3 run. In the second, Eureka again started strong, but a 9-1 Gorlok run midway through the frame proved too much to overcome. The third set saw Webster jump out to an early lead and maintain control to seal the match.

As a team, Eureka hit .093 in the second match and totaled 19 kills, five aces, and four blocks.

Up Next

Eureka will return home on Wednesday, Oct. 29, to host Greenville at 7 p.m.