If there were any doubts about the Saint Louis volleyball team going into Atlantic 10 Conference play, they have been dramatically erased.
Since starting conference play on Sept. 25, the Billikens have won every set. The team continued its domination last weekend in a 25-14, 25-12, 25-15 victory over Duquesne. SLU advances to 10-5, 3-0 and joins Dayton as the only unbeatens in the A-10.
“I think it’s a testament to all our hard work in practice,” senior Whitney Roth said. “We practice very hard all week and it is great to see it pay off in games.”
The Bills continue to get support from their seniors as well as promising play from their sophomores and juniors. Sammi McCloud, a senior, led all players with eight kills, while Lydia Blaha and Megan Boken, a sophomore and junior respectively, each notched six. Roth dished out a match-high 27 assists and Whitney Behrens turned in 12 digs. Blaha also collected a season-high tying five blocks.
Roth says she’s impressed with the effort by the juniors and sophomores and sees it as “crucial for our success as a team because we need everyone to play a part in order to have a successful season. I think they are all stepping up and each person’s role is crucial to reach the goals we have set for this season.”
Against the Dukes, the Bills took an early lead in the first set off of a McCloud kill and hitting errors by Duquense. With a 8-4 edge, SLU would go on a 6-2 run, ultimately closing the door on the Dukes. Duquesne got two points near the end of the set off two SLU mistakes, but Alyssa Deno recorded a kill and teamed with Blaha for a block to conclude the set. SLU hit .294, while the Dukes managed just five kills to go with seven errors to hit at a negative clip.
In the second set, the Bills started their gallop early, and posted five straight points to race out to a 7-1 lead. A Blaha-Boken kill started the run and an ace from Behrens followed before Duquesne committed back-to-back-to-back hitting errors. Though the Dukes would get their act together, they were unable to get on a run and the Bills’ would lead them by 13 at the end of the set. Again the Dukes hit at a negative percentage while SLU, which was led by Fonke’s four kills, collected 13 kills with just five errors.
Another big Billiken run at the start of the set helped Saint Louis take the third set. SLU broke free from a 3-3 deadlock with a 9-1 rally. McCloud, Roth and Fonke each recorded a block and a kill during the run, while Deno and Boken each posted service aces. With the score 21-7, the Dukes attempted to catch up with a late run of their own. But back-to-back kills from Blaha and Deno halted any threat as the Bills went on to capture the set and the match. SLU hit .269, while DU notched just six kills against 12 errors in the final set.
The Billikens take on George Washington (13-5) Friday at the Chaifetz Pavilion. The Bills are 6-1 all-time verses the Colonials, who have won eight of their last nine matches. “We know they will be out to get us so we are expecting a great match Friday night,” Roth said. “We just need to play our game. We are a great team when our hitters hit the way they can and when our defense and passing is on. “
