UMSL’s Hailey Flowers goes for a kill during Saturday’s match against McKendree at the Mark Twain Building. (Photo: Thomas Grove)
| NCAA Volleyball – Sept. 30, 2023 | 1 | 2 | 3 |
|---|---|---|---|
| McKendree (7-7, 0-3) | 18 | 20 | 16 |
| #4 UMSL (15-0, 3-0) | 25 | 25 | 25 |
Nora Nichols
Staff Writer
NORMANDY, MO — The No. 4-ranked UMSL Tritons women’s volleyball team just keeps on rolling.
And they seem to look better each time out.
That’s been the case since the season started. It’s been the case all through September. And it was especially the case on Saturday, when UMSL rolled past McKendree 3 sets to none, in a home Great Lakes Valley Conference match at the Mark Twain Building.
The victory raised unbeaten UMSL’s overall record to 15-0 and 3-0 in Great Lakes Valley Conference play. McKendree fell to 7-7 and 0-3.
The Tritons were once again fantastic at the net, notching 45 total kills, 10 blocks, and a red-hot .495 hitting percentage. In contrast, the Bearcats had just 32 kills, three blocks, a .121 hitting percentage, which included 21 hitting errors.
Senior hitters Delaney Humm and Hailey Flowers led the way for UMSL. Humm had a match-high 11 kills for the Tritons, while Flowers added 10 kills and five blocks.
Teammates Mya Elliott and Hannah Copeland also played well. Elliott had eight kills and six blocks, and Copeland had eight kills and two blocks.
Sophomore setter Caitlin Bishop dished out 36 assists and senior libero Kylie Adams added a match-high 21 digs.
Saturday’s win concluded a three-match homestand for the Tritons, who will now play their next five matches on the road.
First, UMSL will head east to play at Indianapolis and at No. 19 Lewis next weekend. Then, UMSL will stay east to play in the Midwest Region Crossover, which will be played at the Hammond Sportsplex in Hammond, Ind. That event will take place in two weeks on October 13 and 14.
The Tritons next home matches will come on October 20 and 21, against Missouri S&T and Maryville, respectively.
2023 UMSL Tritons Women’s Volleyball Schedule
| Date | Time | At | Opponent | Location |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| October 6, 2023 (Friday) | 5 p.m. | Away | Indianapolis | Indianapolis, Ind. / Ruth Lilly Fitness Center |
| October 7, 2023 (Saturday) | 3 p.m. | Away | #19 Lewis | Romeoville, Ill. / Neil Carey Arena |
| October 13, 2023 (Friday) | TBA | Neutral | Midwest Region Crossover | Hammond, Ind. / Hammond Sportsplex |
| October 14, 2023 (Saturday) | TBA | Neutral | Midwest Region Crossover | Hammond, Ind. / Hammond Sportsplex |
| October 20, 2023 (Friday) | 6 p.m. | Home | Missouri S&T | Mark Twain Building |
| October 21, 2023 (Saturday) | 3 p.m. | Home | Maryville | Mark Twain Building |
| October 27, 2023 (Friday) | 6 p.m. | Away | Upper Iowa | Fayette, Iowa / Dorman Memorial Gymnasium |
| October 28, 2023 (Saturday) | 3 p.m. | Away | Truman State | Kirksville, Mo. / Pershing Arena |
| November 3, 2023 (Friday) | 6 p.m. | Home | Illinois Springfield | Mark Twain Building |
| November 4, 2023 (Saturday) | 3 p.m. | Home | Quincy | Mark Twain Building |
| November 10, 2023 (Friday) | 6 p.m. | Away | Drury | Springfield, Mo. / O’Reilly Family Events Center |
| November 11, 2023 (Saturday) | 1 p.m. | Away | Southwest Baptist | Bolivar, Mo. / John Q. Hammons Court |
| November 17-19, 2023 | TBA | Neutral | GLVC Tournament | Williamsville, Ill./Williamsville High School Fieldhouse |