UMSL Sweeps Past Harris Stowe

Balanced Attack Pushes Riverwomen to Win

St. Louis, Mo. – The Missouri-St. Louis volleyball team used a well-balanced attack to cruise past Harris Stowe and win 3-0 (30-24, 30-16, 30-23) over the Hornets. UMSL had seven different players score kills in the match, and had a total of 12 service aces in the win, improving the team’s overall record to 9-13 on the season.

UMSL used a big run in the first game to take control early. Trailing 3-2, UMSL rattled off nine of the next ten points to take an 11-4 lead. During that run, Claudia Medina (Las Cruces, N.M./Las Cruces) ignited UMSL with three consecutive service aces. After a point by Harris Stowe made it 11-5, the Riverwomen scored the next four points to lead by 11 points at 16-5. Harris Stowe got within four points later in the game, but UMSL held on and won 30-24. The second game saw the Riverwomen score the first four points to take control early. UMSL pushed the lead to eight points at 12-4, getting two straight kills followed by a block from Mandi Fenner (St. Peters, Mo./Fort Zumwalt South) during that run. The Riverwomen would push their lead to 13 points at 24-11 after a kill from Ashley Richmond (Milford, Ohio/Milford) and cruised from their to win the second game 30-16.

UMSL had to battle in the third game, as the match was tied 10 times in the early going before the Riverwomen made their run. Trailing 16-15, UMSL tied the game at 16-16, starting a 9-1 run for the Riverwomen. A kill from Mandi Fenner, one of her four kills in the third game, gave UMSL the lead for good at 17-16, and Ashley Crow (Fair Grove, Mo./Fair Grove) had two service aces during that run. UMSL got four kills from Ashley Richmond in the third game as well and went on to win 30-23 and win the match.

Claudia Medina led UMSL with nine kills, Ashley Richmond added seven kills and Daria Sak (Barrington, Ill./Barrington) and Mandi Fenner had six kills each. Devan McFerren (Urbana, Ill./Champaign Central) and Debi Dibella (St. Joseph, Mo./Benton) each had four kills and Heather Nichols (Black Earth, Wis./Edgewood) had three kills. Sak led the team with 15 digs and Richmond added 13 digs and led the team with 28 assists.

UMSL is now 9-13 on the season and will be on the road this weekend to play conference matches at Wisconsin-Parkside on Friday and at Lewis on Saturday.