Fulton, MO 9/4/2024- The Westminster Women's Volleyball team celebrated their first victory of the season in their home opener, defeating Illinois College in a thrilling match that energized the home crowd. The Blue Jays displayed resilience and teamwork, securing the win in four sets: 25-22, 15-25, 25-21, 25-21. 

The Blue Jays opened the match strong, claiming the first set with a 25-22 victory. Although the Lady Blues responded by taking the second set 25-15, the Blue Jays regrouped and won the contested third set 25-21. The fourth set was another intense battle, but the Blue Jays maintained their composure and pulled away late, securing the set 25-21 and the match 3-1. With this win, Westminster improved to 1-4 on the season, while Illinois College dropped to 2-1. 

Leading the charge for Westminster was Paige Rowland, who delivered an outstanding performance with 10 kills. Haylie Schnake also contributed significantly, adding 23 digs and 3 service aces, while Madisyn Ellis got 19 digs. 

With this win, Westminster improves their record to 1-4. The Blue Jays will look to build on this momentum as they prepare to face Bethany College in their upcoming away match on September 6th at 5:00pm and 7:00pm.