UMSL’s Delaney Humm had a career-high 26 kills in the Tritons’ win over Lewis on Saturday. (Photo courtesy: UMSL Athletics)

NCAA Volleyball – Oct. 6, 20231234Final
#4 UMSL (16-0, 4-0)20252525(3)
Indianapolis (13-4, 3-2)25172118(1)
NCAA Volleyball – Oct. 7, 202312345Final
#4 UMSL (17-0, 5-0)2125192515(3)
#16 Lewis (13-5, 5-1)252325208(2)

Nora Nichols
Staff Writer

The University of Missouri-St. Louis women’s volleyball team continued its historic unbeaten run through the beginning of the 2023 season this weekend, by picking up a pair of wins at Indianapolis and Lewis, on Friday and Saturday, respectively.

UMSL is now 17-0 on the season, and 5-0 in Great Lakes Valley Conference play. The 17 straight wins to begin a season is the best start to a season any UMSL women’s volleyball team has ever had.

The Tritons earned the two wins by pulling off a pair of nice rallies. On Friday, UMSL lost the first set against Indianapolis, but then won the next three to take the match. Then on Saturday, the No. 4-ranked team in the country lost the first set to No. 16 Lewis, then won the second set. But then they lost the third set and was just one set away from potentially suffering their first loss.

Fortunately though, the Tritons rallied again to win the fourth set, then played perhaps their best ball of the entire weekend to claim the fifth and deciding set against the Flyers.

#4 UMSL 3 UIndy 1
UIndy (13-4, 3-2 GLVC) scored four of the first five points to begin the match but the Tritons (16-0, 4-0 GLVC) responded with a 7-4 run to take a 10-8 lead after Mya Elliott blocked Elizabeth Eads. UMSL still led 12-11 but that would be its last lead of the frame as the Greyhounds went on a 5-0 run to seize control and wouldn’t let the Tritons get closer than three points the rest of the set. The Hounds took the opener 25-20 snapping UMSL’s 20-set winning streak.

The Tritons scored first two points of the second stanza but UIndy countered with a 7-3 run to take a 7-5 lead after Lauren Cullison blocked Lexie Rang. UMSL ran off the next five points to take a three-point lead after an ace serve from Rang but the Hounds answered right back with four straight of their own.

The Tritons countered with four straight of their own as Delaney Humm and Hannah Copeland each had two kills in a 4-0 run to give UMSL the lead for good in the frame. UIndy pulled to within 15-13 but wouldn’t get any closer as the Tritons led by as many as eight points in the 25-17 win to even the match at a set apiece.

The Greyhounds raced out to a four-point lead in the swing set and still led by three halfway through but UMSL rallied with a 9-3 run turning the deficit into a three-point lead after a kill from Elliott. The Tritons extended their lead to five but UIndy made a late push closing to within three but UMSL was able to close out the set scoring two of the last three points to win 25-21 on a kill from Hailey Flowers.

UMSL jumped out to a 5-1 lead to begin set four and wouldn’t trail as it led by as many as seven at 19-12 after a kill from Flowers. The Hounds scored four straight to pull within three but it wouldn’t be enough as the Tritons scored six of the final eight points to win the frame 25-18 and complete the comeback.

UMSL hit a .350 in the match with 67 kills against 17 errors in 143 chances and was led by Rang with a match-high 20 kills while Humm and Flowers had 18 and 14 kills respectively. Caitlin Bishop handed out a season-high 60 assists while Rang had three aces and 13 digs and Elliott finished with two blocks.

UIndy finished the match with a .252 hitting percentage recording 51 kills against 16 errors in 139 swings. It was led by Grace Hegwood with 14 kills while Sophia Parlanti and Cullison had 11 kills each. Claire Morris finished with 45 assists while Hegwood had three aces and 12 digs.

#4 UMSL 3 #16 Lewis
UMSL opened the match on a 5-1 run but Lewis rallied scoring nine of the next 12 points to grab a 10-8 lead after a kill from Megan Schlechte. The Tritons came back to tie the frame at 14 on a service ace from Trysta Foster but the Flyers scored four of the next five points to take an 18-15 advantage and wouldn’t trail the rest of the stanza. UMSL made a late run getting within 23-21 after a kill from Lexie Rang but Lewis scored the final two points to take the opening set.

The Tritons led by as many as five points in the second frame but had to withstand a late run. The Flyers got to within 24-23 after a kill from Juliana Van Loo but wouldn’t get any closer as Humm recorded her sixth kill of the stanza to give UMSL the 25-23 victory and even the match at a set apiece.

In the swing set, Lewis built an eight-point cushion midway through after an ace serve from Schlechte. The Tritons cut the deficit to three late in the frame but wouldn’t get any closer as the Flyers held on for the 25-19 win. Lewis hit .531 in the stanza with 18 kills against one error in 32 chances while the Tritons hit .258 with 12 kills against four errors in 31 swings.

UMSL flipped the script in set four jumping out to a six-point lead after a kill from Humm. The Flyers made a late push closing to within 23-20 after another kill from Van Loo but Humm knocked down her fifth kill of the frame setting up set point. Van Loo then committed an attack error to give the Tritons the 25-20 win and force a winner take-all fifth set.

UMSL took an early 4-2 lead in the deciding set but Lewis countered with a 4-1 run to take a 6-5 lead after a Flyer challenge overturned a kill by Mya Elliott. The Tritons and Elliott shook it off as she got a kill on her next swing to even the set at six and sparked a 6-0 run.

UMSL benefitted from a challenge of its own during that run. Leading 9-6, Humm hit a ball that was ruled out of bounds but after a review the call was overturned as it was determined it was touched by a Lewis defender.

The Tritons added two more points to extend its lead but the Flyers wouldn’t go quietly scoring back-to-back points to get within 11-8. UMSL closed it out scoring the final four points of the match to win 15-8 and complete the comeback. Humm had two of those kills while Hannah Copeland added another and Kylie Adams had a service ace.

The Tritons hit .259 in the contest with 62 kills against 21 errors in 158 chances. Humm was joined in double figures by Elliott with 12 kills and Rang added 11 kills. Caitlin Bishop handed out 49 assists, Elliott had three blocks and Adams had 15 digs.

Lewis hit .333 in the match recording 65 kills against 15 errors in 150 swings. Schlechte and Van Loo had 19 kills each while Bella Ray added 11 kills and five blocks. Lauren Stenman finished with 50 set assists and Ally Hickey had a match-high 22 digs.

UMSL is back in action next weekend traveling to Hammond, Ind., for the Midwest Region Crossover. Opponents and times will be released on Sunday.

UMSL sports information contributed to this story.