The UMSL women’s volleyball team celebrates winning the final point of their match against Southern Indiana to advance to the GLVC Championship Game. (Photo courtesy: UMSL Athletics)

by Cedric Williams
Senior Editor

In what had been the biggest match of the season, the University of Missouri-St. Louis women’s volleyball team delivered its best performance of the season.

The Tritons, just one win away from playing for the Great Lakes Valley Conference championship, got stellar performances from just about every player that saw the court on Saturday, to defeat Southern Indiana, three sets to none, in a semifinal victory that sends UMSL to the tournament championship game.

Senior outside hitter Charlotte Richards, the two-time GLVC Player of the Year, had a match-high 17 kills, and teammate Paige Yoder added 10, as UMSL dominated Southern Indiana from the start, a fact that was proven in nearly every statistical category.

The Tritons outhit the Screamin’ Eagles .358 to .096, nearly doubled them in total kills (47-24), and had four service aces to Southern Indiana’s one. UMSL also nearly doubled Southern Indiana in assists (45-23) and were better on defense, with 61 digs to Southern Indiana’s 48.

Saturday’s match was the third time UMSL and Southern Indiana played this season, but the first time the Tritons won.

It was one of the few blemishes on UMSL’s season, that they hadn’t been able to defeat Southern Indiana — the team that knocked the Tritons out of the the GLVC Tournament last season — this season.

But UMSL fixed that with a championship worthy performance at the Eastside Centre volleyball complex in East Peoria, Ill.

Now the Tritons (24-7) will have one more mountain to climb, as they’ll take on No. 1 overall seed Lewis University in the championship game. The Flyers (25-6) defeated Quincy in another three-set sweep to advance.

The championship match is scheduled to begin at noon on Sunday and will be streamed live online on the GLVC Sports Network.