Another weekend on the road brought mixed results for the Billiken volleyball team. The women fought hard but lost in five sets to Rhode Island on Saturday before sweeping Fordham in three sets on Sunday. The Billikens finished the weekend at 8-17, with three games remaining in Atlantic 10 play.
The Billikens dropped the first two sets against Rhode Island before fighting back to force a fifth set. The Bills turned it on between sets two and three, with senior Cassie Clarke leading the way. The setter tallied 47 assists in the game, 11 in the third set, which the Bills won 25-20. In the final set, the Billikens could not keep the momentum, as they alternated scores with the Rams until Rhode Island finally managed to string together a short run, winning 12-15 to take the match. As usual, the Billikens defense was led by Grace Bonoma, who had 32 digs, adding to her season total that is good enough for second-best in the Atlantic 10.
The next day at Fordham, freshmen Megan Gilbert and Anna Church took advantage of Clarke’s setting skills, combining for 21 kills. Church led the way with 11 kills, and the Billikens had no problem putting away the Rams to catch the early flight back to St. Louis. Besides the strong offense, the Billikens also stifled the Rams attack, as the Rams managed to hit just .065, the lowest percentage they’ve allowed this season. The Billikens faced a tiny threat to their sweep bid, as they led just 13-12 when junior Erin Klostermann stepped up to the service line. However, Klostermann led the Bills to five straight points and the team used the momentum to propel itself to a 25-17 victory.
SLU now has just three regular season games left in what has been an adversity-laden season for the Billikens in coach Kent Miller’s second season. They return to Chaifetz Pavilion this weekend, capping off the home season with Senior Night against La Salle on Nov. 3. Seniors Clarke, Aleksandra Niemiec, Andrea Bolt, Carly Marcum and Carly Schumacher will be honored before the game.
