Freshman Lauren Budde started as setter for the first time in her career, recording a double-double with 39 assists and 10 digs. Junior Erin Albers and senior Nikki Morrison both nailed a team high of 11 kills.

Seniors Alli Alberts and Audra Janak did not play in the team’s first loss to UMSL since 1989. Alberts, Morrison, Janak and senior Ali Crouch will be honored at the Culver-Stockton College match at 7:30 p.m. on Oct. 31.

The No. 4 Washington University volleyball team lost to No. 2 Emory for the third time in school history this weekend, falling 1-3 in a tightly fought match at the second University Athletic Association Round Robin.

The Red and Green also edged out the University of Chicago 3-2 and swept Brandeis University and New York University (NYU) to take the No. 2 seed in the UAA championships, hosted by Wash. U. on Nov. 7 and 8.

Wash. U. started off strong against the Eagles, taking the first set 25-21 despite two occasions where Emory closed to within one point. Even with senior Alli Alberts’ career high of 17 kills, the Bears could not overcome the Eagles in the next three sets.

“We really just need to figure out how to get out of ruts,” senior Ali Crouch said. “Be more creative with our shots and tool more.”

The fourth set proved to be the most competitive, as Wash. U. built up two four-point leads, but the Bears could not finish and fell 27-25. “Stats don’t matter, especially when you lose,” Alberts said.

The University of Chicago fought hard to even their match and force a fifth set against Wash. U. after trailing by two sets. “Chicago came out pretty scrappy as well and played a really good game against us,” Alberts said.

Senior Nikki Morrison, junior Erin Albers and freshman Kristen Thomas recorded double-digit kills, finishing with 17, 13 and 11, respectively, as Wash. U. took the first two sets 25-15 and 25-11. The Red and Green were plagued by errors in the third and fourth sets, dropping them 25-21 and 25-22.

The Bears came back in the final set with a 15-7 finish. Freshman Tricia Brandt had a memorable day on defense, recording a personal best of 23 digs.

The Bears swept Brandeis (25-22, 25-13, 25-18) and NYU (25-21, 25-15, 25-17) on Saturday. Freshman Erin Kasson led the way against Brandeis, recording eight kills on a .571 performance, while Morrison had a team high of 11 kills on a .455 showing. Albers and senior Ali Crouch had career days against NYU, with Albers smashing out 15 kills on 18 attempts for a .833 percentage and Crouch hitting .480 for 13 kills.

“[Albers] hit like a monster,” Alberts said. “I was waiting for her to break out. I knew it was going to be soon. When she is on, she cannot be stopped.”

Albers was more nonchalant when asked about her accomplishment. “No one can have a perfect hitting game without good defense and a good setter,” Albers said.

Wash. U. hosts one more tournament before the UAA championships at home. The Red and Green take on Concordia University and Culver-Stockton College on Oct. 31 and compete against Monmouth College and Millikin University on Nov. 1.

Bears dig for a cure

Washington University’s 7 p.m. match against Division II University of Missouri-St. Louis features the Bear’s first Dig for a Cure event.

Private donors have pledged funds for every dig that the Bears record for the Susan G. Komen for the Cure Foundation. Proceeds from donations at the door, T-shirt sales, a silent auction and a raffle for an iPod will also support breast cancer research. “It’s a cause that’s very near and dear to the team’s heart,” Assistant Coach Louella Lovely-Maxwell said.

The Dig for a Cure program was started in 2003 by former University of North Carolina-Charlotte Volleyball Coach Lisa Marston after her mother survived breast cancer. Since then, more than 220 collegiate and high school programs have joined in the event.

The Bears will be warming up in pink shirts, wearing pink ribbons and playing with a pink volleyball in honor of Breast Cancer Awareness Month.

“It is a fantastic opportunity for our team to give back and have fun at the same time,” Alberts said. “This is our first year, so I really hope lots of people come out to support such a wonderful cause and also help cheer us on to victory.”

The team has expressed their hopes that community members support the foundation. More information on how to donate can be found by contacting Head Coach Rich Luenemann.

Pi Lambda Psi, the Washington University Greek women’s health and wellness honorary, will be collecting Yoplait yogurt lids for Yoplait’s Save Lids to Save Lives program. Sophomore Dustin Palmer and freshman John Harrison York will be heading a similar effort for the program.

The Yoplait donation program, which celebrates its 10th anniversary this year, has raised nearly $20 million nationwide for breast cancer research. Yoplait customers are encouraged to save, rinse and place the lids in collection boxes to send back to the company. In return, Yoplait will donate 10 cents for every lid received to the Susan G. Komen Foundation, a breast cancer research facility.

Pi Lambda Psi will collect the lids at Whispers Café and Bear’s Den, while Palmer and York will run collection in the Café and Dains Dining Hall in the Danforth University Center, as well as in Hilltop Bakery and Seigle Commons.

Pi Lambda Psi is heading the collection as a way to get the word out about their organization while raising money for breast cancer research.

“We decided to choose breast cancer awareness this month as our main focus [as] a way to get the campus involved and make a larger impact than usual,” Julie Hess, Pi Lambda Psi’s wellness series coordinator, said. “We’re trying to raise awareness about a lot of different health issues that affect women and the campus in general.”

Palmer, on the other hand, started the collection last year as a personal effort to help breast cancer research.

“I did it on my own and collected 40 to 50 [lids] through my friends,” he said. “However, I figured that extending it to the Washington University community would have a much greater effect.”

Although it is a coincidence that the two initiatives are taking place in the same week, Palmer said that it gives them an opportunity to pool resources. Since nearly 6,500 yogurts are sold every month on campus, students have a chance to make a big impact.

“Even a third of the yogurt lids sold on campus would be awesome,” Palmer said.

York is partnering with Palmer to encourage students to become involved in the volunteering process for Save Lids to Save Lives. So far, the program has only been publicized through word of mouth. Aside from attracting volunteers, York is also the “keeper of the lids.”

“My grandmother died of breast cancer when she was in her late 30s. That’s always been a big part of my mom’s life and, accordingly, through mine,” York said. “My mom was really happy to hear that I was collecting, especially since this issue is so close to her.”

The effort to help fight against cancer is widely spread throughout campus; Relay for Life will also be offering volunteers to help with lid collection.

“We are so happy to see other people making efforts to make cancer research and funding a top priority,” senior Rebecca Katz, co-chair of Relay for Life, said. “We applaud their efforts, and we’re happy to assist them.”

Another contributor has been Dining Services, which is providing the containers for the lids, as well as providing marketing help. Nadeem Siddiqui, the University’s resident district manager for Dining Services, said he was not surprised by the students’ motivation and eagerness when they approached him for assistance with the program.

“This kind of action is typical among Wash. U. students,” Siddiqui said. “Even so, [Palmer’s] initiative was really impressive to me.”

Collecting donation money through food is nothing new to Siddiqui, who has worked with Stanford University and University of Chicago to hold homeless shelter dinners each year.

“We have a lot of opportunities to partner with students, and I’m always eager to take advantage of that,” Siddiqui said.

In addition to helping raise money, Hess hopes this will draw more people to her honorary.

“We typically only reach the Greek community,” she said. “The fact that we’re getting out on the [South] 40 and on main campus to anyone who eats yogurt will hopefully get [our] name out.”

York, who personally recommends the mixed berry Yoplait yogurt, said, “I didn’t even eat yogurt before, but now that this has begun, I’m eating yogurt every day.”