ST. LOUIS, MO. – Senior
Lexi Rogers recorded a career-best eight blocks and added nine kills to help the University of Missouri-St. Louis volleyball team to a 3-1 win over crosstown foe Lindenwood in nonconference play on Tuesday night.
The Tritons won by set scores of 25-20, 25-27, 27-25, 25-19 to improve to 6-7 overall, while Lindenwood falls to 8-4. The victory was the second of the season over the Lions for the Tritons as UMSL won 3-1 at Lindenwood earlier this season.
The Tritons tallied a season-best 12 blocks in the match and hit at a .201 clip behind 49 kills, while Lindenwood registered 67 kills and hit .175.
Rogers, who had three solo blocks, hit .438, committing just one error in 16 swings. Freshman
Maddy Russell led UMSL with 12 kills, while senior
Lindsay Meyer and sophomore
Madyson Abeyta dished out 23 and 19 assists, respectively.
Freshman
Alivia Brinker picked up 21 digs, while senior
Jessica Ploss added four blocks and nine kills, while sophomore
Gina Pezze added nine kills.
UMSL outscored the Lions, 12-5, to end the first set. The Tritons trailed at 15-13 before scoring five straight to ignite the set-ending run. UMSL hit .250 in the frame and recorded four blocks.
The Tritons then had just seven kills in the second set compared to Lindenwood's 18, but outblocked the Lions, 7-2, five of which came from Rogers – all in the final 13 points. After tying the set at 16-16, Lindenwood scored five straight, but the Tritons followed suit with six unanswered for a 22-21 lead. The Lions then held set point three different times before getting the win.
UMSL rallied back from a 17-9 third set deficit and trailed 24-21 before scoring four straight for the 25-24 lead before taking the frame 27-25 on Pezze's sixth kill of the set.
Russell recorded four of her kills in the fourth set on seven swings, while UMSL scored four straight to extend a 13-12 lead into a 17-12 advantage en route to the match victory.
Lindenwood had four players in double digit kills, including Bailey Dvorak's match-high 17 kills.
UMSL returns to Great Lakes Valley Conference play on Friday at Drury.
