UMSL Volleyball Splits Season Opening Matches

Riverwomen Win Season Opener Against Saginaw Valley State

St. Louis, Mo. – The UMSL volleyball team got he season started with a win in the first match of the season against Saginaw Valley State in at the Quincy/McDonald’s Invitational, winning 3-0 in the opening match. The Riverwomen then stumbled in the second match, falling in five to South Dakota 30-28, 17-30, 30-28, 21-30, 15-5.

In the season opening match, the Riverwomen cruised to a 3-0 win over Saginaw Valley State, winning 30-18, 30-18, 30-13, notching a victory in the school’s first contest of the season for any sport. Gillian Falknor (Arlington Heights, Mo./Buffalo Groves) led UMSL with 13 kills in the match and recorded 12 digs as well. UMSL recorded 38 total kills as a team and had seven service aces, led by Karen Creech (Moscow Mills, Mo./Winfield) with three. Daria Sak (Barrington, Ill./Barrington) had 15 digs and Stacey Pearl (Irvine, Calif./Woodbridge) led the Riverwomen with 21 assists.

The second match was a hard fought match that went five full games. UMSL fell in the first game before winning the next two. South Dakota then came back to win the pivotal fourth game 30-21 before taking the final game 15-5. The Riverwomen were led by Gillian Falknor with 17 kills and 26 digs, while also recording three total blocks and four service aces. Nikki Pagels (Fox River Grove, Ill./Cary Grove) also added 17 kills and Karen Creech added 12 kills. Stacey Pearl had 29 assists and Daria Sak recorded 22 digs.

The Riverwomen are 1-1 on the season and will be in action again on Saturday with two more matches. UMSL will face Lake Superior State at 11 am and Northwest Missouri State at 3 pm.