University Athletic Association

In her 92nd career match, junior Elise Gilroy earned her 1,000th career dig to join an exclusive group. Behind Gilroy's defensive efforts, the No. 10 Washington University in St. Louis volleyball team swept the Millikin Tri to conclude the regular season, Saturday. WashU took down Hendrix College in four (25-13, 23-25, 26-24, 25-8), then also defeated RV Millikin University in four (25-20, 25-20, 14-25, 25-21). 

With the pair of wins, the Bears' record climbed to 22-7 on the year. 

In the first match of the day, WashU took down Hendrix in four sets. 

The Bears held the statistical advantages in kills (55-43), aces (8-6), blocks (7-2), assists (52-37), and digs (62-53). 

Sophomore Sam Buckley welcomed her 15th double-double of the season with a match-high 43 assists. Buckley completed her double-double with 10 digs. 

Junior Jasmine Sells produced a match-high 18 kills. Senior Lily Steinbach added 11 kills, while junior McKenzie Washington was credited with nine. 

Buckley earned a match-high four aces, with Gilroy contributing two and junior Zoe Foster turning in one ace. 

Defensively, Gilroy posted a match-high 18 digs in the contest. 

In the first set, the Bears raced out to the quick 7-0 advantage. Hendrix posted three straight attack errors to begin the match. The run was highlighted by three Sells kills and one Buckley ace. WashU then padded its lead on a Buckley kill to push the advantage to seven, 11-4. After the Warriors trimmed the lead to six, 17-11, the Bears responded with a five-point run to put the score at 22-11. In the run, Hendrix was credited with an attack error, first-year Leah Oyewole produced back-to-back kills, and Gilroy spun two straight aces. 

With the Bears at set point, 24-13, Sells ended the first set with a nifty kill as WashU took the opening frame by a final score of 25-13. 

The second set saw the Warriors earn the early, 6-3 lead. However, WashU was able to flip the script and erase the deficit on a five-point run. After the run, the Bears took the slim, 11-10 advantage. As the set progressed, WashU held the 15-13 cushion after Steinbach recorded a rejection. The Warriors then utilized a well-timed four-point rally to grab the two-point, 22-20, lead. With the score even at 23-23, Hendrix took the second set with a 25-23 victory on a kill and a Bear attack error. 

In the middle of the third set, WashU trailed by five, 17-12. The Bears recorded three straight points on a Foster kill, a Sells kill, and a first-year Ellie Laird ace to cut the Warrior lead to a pair, 17-15. The momentum switched after WashU put up a five-point run to grab the slim, 21-19, lead. During the run, WashU welcomed two kills, two Hendrix attack errors, and a Buckley ace. 

The Warriors then tallied three straight points to put them at set point, 24-23. After fending off set point, WashU pushed the set to extra points and stole the set, 26-24, utilizing a three-point run. The Bears took the third set on a Warrior ball handling error.  

WashU carried its momentum into the fourth set by running out to the 8-1 lead. Foster then widened the gap with a kill to put the score at 15-5. The Bears secured a four-point run to open up the commanding 22-7 cushion. The early lead was too much to overcome as junior Lucy Davis ended the match on a kill, with WashU taking the fourth set, 25-8. 

In the night cap against the Big Blue, Sells and Buckley both notched double-doubles. Sells landed 15 kills and 12 digs, while Buckley produced match-highs of 37 assists and 19 digs. 

Foster and Oyewole both secured nine kills in the victory. 

Defensively, Gilroy was credited with 17 digs. 

WashU held the statistical advantages in kills (50-49), assists (49-44), and digs (72-61).  

The early goings of the first set saw back-and-forth action as no team held more than a one-point lead until WashU took the two-point, 9-7 lead. With the score knotted at 7-7, the Bears went on a four-point run to snag the 11-7 cushion. The run saw a Sells kills, a Buckley ace, a Big Blue attack error, and a Steinbach kill. WashU then took the 17-12 advantage on a Millikin attack error. However, MU trimmed the lead to two, 17-15, as head coach Vanessa Walby signaled for a timeout. The Big Blue managed to even the score at 17-17, but a Foster kill ended the run and put the Bears in front, 18-17. 

With the score tied at 18-18, WashU assembled a four-point run to generate the 22-18 lead as Millikin called a timeout. The run was highlighted by back-to-back Buckley aces. WashU pushed the first to set point, 24-20. At set point, Oyewole produced the set-ending rejection as the attack attempt fell in front of a Big Blue player to give WashU the set one victory, 25-20. 

In the second set, Millikin grabbed the 8-5 advantage. WashU then orchestrated a four-point run to snag the one-point, 9-8, lead. After the Big Blue re-took the slim lead, Oyewole's kill pushed WashU ahead by one, 15-14. Oyewole's kill sparked a three-point Bear run as WashU took the 18-14 lead, to warrant a Big Blue timeout. 

The pause in action did little to halt WashU momentum with Oyewole securing back-to-back kills. Millikin called another timeout, trailing by a score of 22-16. With the Bears at set point, 24-20, Sells ended the second set with a kill. WashU secured the second by a final tally of 25-20. 

The Big Blue generated the 12-5 lead in the third set. Later in the set, Millikin maintained their seven-point lead as the score stood at 17-10. The deficit proved too much as the Big Blue took the third set by a final score of 25-14. 

MU tallied the quick 8-3 cushion in the fourth as the Bears signaled for a timeout. After the pause in action, WashU scored five-of-the-next six points to trim the deficit to two, 10-8. The Bears then erased the early deficit and took the 14-13 lead on an Oyewole kill. Oyewole's kill was part of a five-point Bear run.  

Later in the set, WashU evened the score at 18-18 on a Big Blue attack error. After Millikin grabbed the next point, the Bears turned in a three-point run to secure to two-point, 21-19, lead as the Big Blue called a timeout. With WashU ahead by one, 22-21, the Bears did not allow Millikin to score again as WashU ended the match on a three-point run. Oyewole earned the match-ending kill that tooled off the Big Blue block to give WashU the 25-21 set four victory.