UMSL senior hitter Lexie Rang had 15 kills in game one and 15 more in game two of the Tritons’ wins on Friday. (Photo courtesy: UMSL Athletics)

Game 1 – Sept. 1123F
#10 UMSL252525(3)
Trevecca Nazarene231720(0)
Game 2 – Sept. 11234F
#10 UMSL25182525(3)
#25 Lynn17252017(1)

Nora Nichols
Staff Writer

NASHVILLE, TN – The 10th-ranked University of Missouri-St. Louis women’s volleyball team opened its 2023 season with two wins at Trevecca Nazarene’s Ray Thrasher Classic on Friday.

The Tritons beat the host Trojans in straight sets in the opener and then defeated No. 25 Lynn 3-1 in a top 25 contest.

No. 10 UMSL 3 Trevecca Nazarene 0
UMSL (2-0) trailed by as many as six points in the opening set but closed the frame on a 15-7 run to take the opener 25-23. The Tritons trailed 16-10 before going on a 9-4 run to cut the TNU lead to 20-19 after an error from Emma Titus. The Trojans scored the next two points to push its lead to three but UMSL scored the last six points of the set to complete the comeback. Lexie Rang had three kills in the deciding run.

The Tritons trailed early in the middle stanza before going on an 11-4 run to build a six-point cushion after a bad set from Emilee McDonald. It would be a lead that UMSL wouldn’t relinquish as it led by as many as eight on its way to a 25-17 victory.

The Tritons raced out to 6-0 lead in the final frame but Trevecca rallied to tie the set at 10. The two sides swapped the next eight points and were still tied at 14 when UMSL pulled away. Rang started the set deciding 7-0 run with a kill. Rang and Mya Elliott combined for four kills in that final run. The Trojans refused to go quietly cutting the Triton lead to 24-20 before Hannah Copeland ended the match with a kill.

UMSL hit .211 in the contest with 41 kills against 17 errors in 114 total attacks. Rang finished with a match-high 15 kills while Elliott finished with eight kills. Caitlin Bishop had 36 assists and Rang, Rylee Edson and Kylie Adams had 11 digs apiece.

Maddie Wilds led Trevecca with nine kills and 15 digs and McDonald had 23 assists.

No. 10 UMSL 3 No. 25 Lynn 1
In the nightcap UMSL got the better of Lynn in the matchup of ranked teams. The Tritons got off to a slow start trailing 13-7 midway through the set but dominated the second half of the set outscoring the Fighting Knights 18-4 to win the opener 25-17. Rang had three kills in the frame while Elliott, Copeland and Hailey Flowers had two kills apiece.

Lynn hit a whooping 52 percent in the second set as it built an 11-point lead and wouldn’t let UMSL get closer than five points the rest of the stanza as the Fighting Knights won 25-18 to even the match at a set apiece.

The swing set was back-and-forth early then the Tritons pulled away with a 9-3 run to build a 17-11 advantage. UMSL stretched its lead to 20-12 after an ace from Adams. Lynn made a late push closing to within 24-20 but wouldn’t get any closer as Rang knocked down a kill to give the Tritons the 25-20 victory.

The final set was similar to the third with the two sides trading the first 18 points. UMSL went on an 8-2 run turning a one-point deficit into a five-point lead after a kill from Rang. The lead grew to as many as eight at 24-16 after a kill from Copeland. The Fighting Knights staved off the first match point but couldn’t fight off another as Flowers terminated a ball to end the match.

The Tritons hit .227 in the nightcap registering 47 kills against 20 errors in 119 swings. Rang had another match-high with 15 kills and was joined in double figures by Flowers with 11 kills. Bishop finished with 41 assists and Adams finished with 11 digs.

UMSL held Lynn to a .126 hitting percentage with 43 kills against 28 errors in 119 chances. Aline Olegario led the Fighting Knights with 12 kills. Emily Edwards handed out 35 assists and Isabella Gentile finished with a match-high 15 digs.

The Tritons are back in action on Saturday taking on Alabama-Huntsville at 9 a.m. and Carson-Newman at 3 p.m.