The Washington University volleyball team rebounded from a 3-0 loss at the hands of then-No. 12 Emory University to beat Westminster College in straight sets Tuesday. The now-No. 12 Bears have won eight of their last nine games, bringing their record to 19-5.

Grace Bruton | Student Life

Senior Ifeoma Ufondu hits in a game against Greenville University. The No. 12-ranked Bears beat Westminster College in straight sets Tuesday, Oct. 23 on the road and will play at home Friday and Saturday in the Baden Invitational.

In the rare Tuesday nightcap, the Red and Green hit the road to take on the Blue Jays. The first set was a struggle, the teams battling to 14-14 midway through. Two Red and Green errors followed by a pair of Blue Jay kills led to the longest streak of the set, setting Westminster up at 18-14 for an opening upset. But the Bears rallied strong, capturing six of the final seven points at 23-20 to close a thrilling first set, 26-24.

The momentum didn’t necessarily carry into the second set, as the Bears fell behind again, 9-7. But they ripped off the next eight points and took off for the remainder of the intermediate set for a 25-13 finish.

Westminster, desperate to keep the night alive, continued the theme of the prior two sets, taking a sizeable 13-7 lead. But once again, the Bears went on a tear, going on five-, five- and six-point streaks to close the set and match with ease, 25-19.

The 3-0 victory was one of Wash. U.’s most dominant of a very successful season thus far, with the Red and Green holding their opponents to a .097 hitting percentage—and .059 and .064 in the final two sets, respectively. That’s the fifth-lowest mark Wash. U. has elicited this year. Senior middle hitter Julianne Malek and freshman Michaela Bach led the Bears with 11 kills apiece.

Wash. U. is now 14-0 all-time against Westminster. The Bears return to the Field House to host a quartet of teams in this weekend’s Baden Invite before a final regular season tune-up at Greenville University ahead of the UAA tournament. Senior Night is Friday at 7 p.m. against Wartburg College.