Last weekend was the last dance of the season for the Saint Louis University volleyball team, and it was a wonderful waltz.

The Billikens traveled to Charlotte for the 2000 Healthy Choice Conference USA Volleyball Tournament and defeated Marquette in the first round, despite the entire team being plagued by food poisoning.

“The conference tournament was wild and wooly,” said head coach Marilyn Nolen. “Everyone was sick but Alyson Merchant Sunday night with food poisoning.” The team was so sick that practice on Monday and Tuesday was canceled, and several members of the team could not attend practice Wednesday in Charlotte.

The Bills were strong enough to take the match Thursday against ninth-seeded Marquette in five games. SLU won the first two games but struggled in the third and fourth, while Marquette picked up the pace to win the two games. The Bills returned strong in the fifth game and won 15-10.

The eighth-seeded Billikens advanced to the quarterfinal round Friday night to face the top seed and regular season C-USA champion South Florida.

“We played extremely well against South Florida,” Nolen said. “Blocking was our strength. We held South Florida’s top player (Michelle Collier) to hitting only .140, usually she hits .300 or more.”

The Billikens lost to South Florida 3-1, with game scores of 15-10, 16-14, 10-15, 15-9. One of the greatest obstacles the Bills have struggled with all season is finishing off close matches, and it was not finishing off a close match that ended the season for the Bills.

“We could have been right out there. We just have not been winning close games, and that’s what championship teams do,” Nolen said.

“But, I’m very proud of the way we played. Our match against South Florida was probably the most exciting match of the day,” Nolen said.

The Billiken offense was led by sophomore Colleen Hunter, who received All-Conference recognitions. Against Marquette, Hunter drilled 28 kills, and had 18 against South Florida.

Junior Cristal Leonard contributed nine kills against Marquette and six against South Florida.

Missy Werges hit 18 kills Thursday night and eight on Friday.

Jessica Moss added five kills against Marquette and eight against South Florida in her final match with the Billikens. Moss also chipped in 15 digs against Marquette and another 10 against South Florida.

Defensively, the Bills were lead by Dani Apted and Brooke Minniear. Apted had 14 digs against Marquette, and chipped in seven against South Florida. Minniear had nine kills in both matches.

Freshman setter Shannan Swiney dished out 49 assists against Marquette and 16 in the match with South Florida.

Several members of the Billiken squad received various accolades this season.

Hunter was not only named to the All-Conference list, but had been named the American Volleyball Coaches Association Division I National Player of the Week in October. Hunter compiled 654 kills this season and broke the school record for a single-season total.

Swiney was named to the C-USA All-Freshman team and finished her first season with the Bills with 705 assists.

Moss ended her career with the Bills with 827 kills, 10th on the all-time Billiken list. Moss also finished fifth on the all-time digs list with 1,211. Moss was the primary passer for the Bills this season.

Leonard ended fourth on the team with 191 kills, bringing her three-year total to 758 kills. Leonard also contributed 150 digs this season.

Ember Knobeloch was a strength for the Bills with 277 kills and 104 blocks.

Beth Middendorf shared the setting duties this season and gave out 255 assists, and also contributed 56 digs.

Werges contributed 120 kills this season, as well as exactly 100 digs and 21 blocks.

Freshmen Alyson Merchant and Julie Malm appeared in 20 and 24 matches respectively. Merchant had 16 kills and 18 digs, while Malm contributed 32 digs.

Merchant and Malm are also expected to be key players for the Bills next season.

Nolen expects her challenges from this season to carry over.

“Closing out games will be our challenge for next year,” Nolen said. “We will continue to have a strong schedule and to step up.”