It was as easy as 1-2-3.
Three teams walked into Chaifetz Arena undefeated last weekend, yet the women’s volleyball team was the only one to walk out without a loss. Saint Louis University beat both Dayton and Xavier, 3-0. The Bills have won 11 straight matches and are still undefeated in Atlantic 10 play.
“I think anytime we play each other, we’re going to go after each other. it’s a big rivalry,” head coach Anne Kordes said. “We all came in undefeated, but we jumped at them right from the start. We felt really comfortable after the match.”
The Billikens showed the A-10 that the preseason polls are true: SLU is the team to beat. This week, the Bills improved their national rankings as well. After being ranked for the first time in program history last week at No. 25, the Bills are now No. 23 in the nation.
In front of a sellout crowd Friday night, the Billikens took on the Dayton Flyers, a game that should have been an all-out brawl.
Kordes said SLU was steady and disciplined, while Dayton was shaky and had problems communicating on the floor. The Flyers struggled to get past the SLU blockers, committing 26 errors. Bridget Fonke powered the Billiken offense with a match-high 17 kills, while junior Sally Warning led to defense at net with six blocks.
Sunday afternoon would see the same story play out again.
Key placements of kills and powerful blocking pushed the Bills past Xavier. McCloud led three Billikens in double-figure kills with 15 along with eight digs and five blocks.
“Offensively, Sammi [McCloud] was all over the place,” Kordes said. “Some of those balls she hit . man, she tore it up. Roth put her sets in the perfect position for our hitters, and Bridget [Fonke], absolutely carried the team from an offensive standpoint.
“She gets over the block, around the block . her attacks are sharp. When she only has one blocker, I don’t think there’s a better hitter in the conference.”
Fonke pounded down kill after kill; she registered 17 against Dayton and 10 against Xavier. She was strong at the net, leaving the opposing blockers wondering where the ball went.
“I think she’s a beast,” Kordes said. “She could be the best outside hitter we’ve had at SLU. The only thing that could hold her back is her not realizing how good she is.”
Fonke did not play her freshman year; she was benched in favor of seniors. Now, the hitter is coming into her own.
“I’m finally feeling comfortable playing all around the floor,” said Fonke, this week’s A-10 Co-Player of the Week. “I’ve worked on my defense a lot since last spring. We’ve been working on my serve . It feels great. I’m having fun with my team.”
Fonke has proven to be an offensive force for the team. This season, she leads the team with 281 kills. Against Dayton, she scored 4 of the Bills’ last 10 points to help close out the match.
“I knew what we were going to be up against,” Fonke said. “I knew there would be great defense on the other side. I knew to just stay calm, be consistent and don’t get out of control. I wanted to be conscience of where I was putting the ball. I knew I needed to stay emotionally steady too.”
SLU struck first against Dayton and Xavier this past weekend, but the three A-10 powerhouses will meet again in less than three weeks for another go-around.
“I think they will come out with more fire,” Fonke said. “But, I think we know what they’re about. Our team does very well playing teams we’ve already played. I think it’s given us more confidence.”
