Chicago, IL 9/2/2023- The Westminster College volleyball team opened their season in the 2023 Windy City Classic hosted by North Park University. They would play three games and would draw three tough opponents. The Blue Jays lost 3-0 to St. Norbert on Friday afternoon, September 1st. On Saturday, they would have a doubleheader against Pacific University and the University of Wisconsin-River Falls. Westminster would defeat Pacific 3-1 but would then fall to UW-River Falls 3-1.
Game 1 vs. St. Norbert: Box Score
In the opening game of their 2023 season at North Park Gymnasium in Chicago on September 1, Westminster College's volleyball team faced a formidable challenge in St. Norbert and ultimately would go down in three sets, 25-14, 25-17, and 25-17.
Newcomer, Kylie Hasselbacher, was impressive in her Blue Jays debut, notching a team-high nine kills. Senior Malena Bixby, normally known for her offensive prowess, flashed her defensive skill as well, picking up ten digs to go along with her five kills. Setter Caitlyn Wheadon would also rack up eighteen assists.
Game 2 vs. Pacific: Box Score
In game number 2, the Blue Jays would face off against Pacific University out of Oregon.
The Boxers came out strong, winning the first set with a score of 25-19.
Westminster did not back down. The Blue Jays bounced back in the second set, securing it with a score of 25-18. They would go on to win three straight sets to secure the win.
Bixby would come up huge, contributing a remarkable 18 kills over the course of the game and picking up her first double-double of the season with the addition of nineteen digs. She would be joined in the double-digit kills club by Ellis and Hasselbacher, who had fourteen and twelve kills, respectively. Wheadon would have a total of forty assists in the match and libero, Kirsten Schrader, collected twenty-three digs as the Blue Jays earned their first victory of the season and improved to 1-1 on the year.
Game 3 vs. UW-River Falls: Box Score
In the Blue Jays final matchup of the 2023 Windy City Classic, Westminster College faced the University of Wisconsin-River Falls.
The first set saw Westminster College take the lead with a score of 25-23. The teams were evenly matched, and it was clear from the outset that both sides were determined to leave everything on the court.
However, UW-River Falls quickly bounced back, dominating the second set with a score of 25-15. The momentum had shifted, and UW-River Falls was determined to ride this wave and take over the match.
In the third set, the Falcons continued to assert their dominance, winning 25-12. Their offense was firing on all cylinders. They would win the fourth and final set, with a score of 25-10, and win the match three sets to one. The Blue Jays fall to 1-2 on the young season and they will head back home to prepare for a cross-town matchup as they host fellow William Woods University inside the Historic Gym on Wednesday, September 6th, with the game starting at 7:00 PM.
