Dan DaranciangThe University’s top-ranked volleyball team proved the NCSA power rankings true last Wednesday, taking down Division II opponent University of Missouri-St. Louis (UMSL). Even without the aid of last week’s UAA player of the week, Megan Houck, Washington University was still able to tally 71 kills in the five-game match.
Amy Baum led the Bears offensively, tallying a career-high 13 kills. The junior outside hitter also added nine digs to her performance.
Unfortunately for UMSL, the Bears had three other players with double-digit kills. Sophomore middle hitter Emilie Walk contributed 14 kills. Junior middle hitter Whitney Smith and sophomore outside hitter Haleigh Spencer added 10 kills of their own.
“Our offense is so multi-faceted that it’s tough for an opponent to key on one player.ÿ If they attempt to, someone else comes through,” said Bears head coach Rich Luenemann.
The University jumped out to an early lead, winning the first game 30-24. In a tight second game where the Bears tallied 17 kills and rallied from a seven-point deficit, the UMSL Riverwomen finally notched the game point 31-33. In the third game, the Bears jumped out to an early lead and appeared to be in control before a 10-point rally put UMSL in the lead for an eventual win of 25-30. The Bears would not be defeated, however, as they registered another 17 kills in the fourth game to win 30-25. In the deciding fifth game, the Bears dominated, hitting an astonishing .667 en route to a 15-7 victory.
Senior setter and captain Kara Liefer continued her solid play this season by adding 58 assists and 11 digs. Junior libero Amy Bommarito, the tough defensive specialist, added 21 digs. The Bears also enjoyed the contributions of freshman Nikki Morrison, who added eight kills, as well as those of sophomore Whitney Brodie, who added five kills of her own and led the Bears with a .400 hitting percentage. Junior Megan Delcourt also added five digs to the University victory.
“Megan’s back row play improves with each match. She’s doing a better job of grasping the nuances of the rover position. The position requires strong reading skills, and she’s learning to read the correct keys,” said Luenemann.
The Bears will look to stay undefeated as they travel to the first UAA Round-Robin Tournament next weekend to face Carnegie-Mellon University, the University of Chicago, and Brandeis University. With the conference title, the winner receives an automatic bid to the post-season tournament.