Pella, IA 10/29/2022- The Blue Jay volleyball was back in action on Saturday for day two of the Central College tournament. They would split the two games they played, defeating Nebraska Wesleyan 3-1 (25-20,25-17,23-25,25-19) and losing to Luther College 3-0 (18-25,22-25,17-25). The Blue Jays finish the regular season 17-16 overall and 9-5 in the SLIAC.
Game One vs Nebraska Wesleyan
The Blue Jays took on the Prairie Wolves in the first game of the day and would win that match 3-1.
Westminster won the first two sets 25-20 and 25-17. Nebraska Wesleyan won a very close third set 25-23. The Blue Jays would close out the match in the fourth set winning 25-19.
The Blue Jays had three hitters with double-digit kills in the match. Malena Bixby (New Berlin, IL/ New Berlin) led the team with fifteen kills, and freshman middle Meghan Nolte (Wentzville, MO / Wentzville) was right behind her with fourteen kills. Haley Menke (O'Fallon, Mo. / Fort Zumwalt West) rounded out the trio with twelve kills. Nolte would have three aces in the game.
Eryka Wanyonyi (Columbia, MO/Hickman) and Kirsten Schrader (Imperial, MO / St. Pius X) led the team in digs with fourteen. Bixby would have thirteen digs in the match and recorded a double-double. Wanyonyi led the team in aces with a total of six in the game. Senior setter Kate Rable (Saint Peters, Mo. / Fort Zumwalt South) had thirty-three assists, nine digs, and two aces.
Game Two vs Luther College
The Blue Jays immediately took on the Luther College Norse after the game against Nebraska Wesleyan. The Norse would sweep the Blue Jays 3-0 (18-25,22-25,25-17)
Menke led the Blue Jays' attack with seven kills. Wanyonyi and Bixby would each have six kills in the match. Schrader had a team-high sixteen digs. Rable had twelve assists and Braylee Montgomery (Bonne Terre, MO / North County) would collect eleven assists of her own.
The Blue Jays have the fourth seed in the SLIAC tournament and will host the fifth-seeded Spalding University in the first round of the conference tournament on Wednesday, November 2nd. That game will begin at 7:00 PM inside the Historic Gym. Admission will be $5 for adults and $3 for ages 16 and younger.
