The UMSL Tritons defeated the University of Illinois Springfield in three sets at the GLVC quarterfinals Friday evening, 25-22, 25-12, 25-10.

The Prairie Stars ran right with the Tritons in opening set, but not in the second or third, as UMSL created the separation.

In the opening set, Paige Yoder picked up where she closed off the regular season, serving as a powerful complement to Charlotte Richards -- providing a tough 1-2 punch that the Prairie Stars could not counter.

Yoder had four early kills and finished with 12 on the night.

Whenever UIS would close in and focus on Richards, Yoder was there.

In the second, the Prairie Stars never looked comfortable, as Richards, Kaileen Herman, Alexa Rang, Yoder, Olivia Klank, and Mya Elliott (back-to-back kills) used their versatility and athleticism to pull away after trailing early.

After a close score, 6-5 UIS, the Tritons authored five consecutive points and were off and running.

To end the set, UMSL notched a 5-0 run to close out the second.

In the final set, the Tritons led by as many as 12 points en route to the win.