ST. LOUIS -- The fifth ranked University of Missouri-St. Louis volleyball team dropped its Great Lakes Valley Conference opener 3-1 to Rockhurst on Friday evening at Mason-Halpin Gymnasium in Kansas City. The Tritons drop to 9-2, 0-1 GLVC while the Hawks improve to 7-3, 1-0 GLVC.
 
Rockhurst hit .342 in the opening stanza with 16 kills against three errors in 38 chances as they led by as many as nine points at 15-6 after a block by Tera Reberry and Ali Olson. UMSL made a late run pulling to within 22-18 after a kill from Alayna Santel but the Hawks scored the final three points to take the opener 25-18.
 
The Tritons responded in set two leading by as many as nine points at 22-13 after a kill from Addison Voorhees. UMSL scored three of the final six points to take the stanza 25-16 and even the match at a set apiece.
 
Rockhurst led 15-10 midway through the swing set but the Tritons rallied pulling to within 21-19 after a kill from Hannah Copeland but wouldn't get any closer as the Hawks closed the set with a 4-1 run to take it 25-20 and the 2-1 lead in the match.
 
UMSL led by as many as four midway through set four but a late run from Rockhurst gave them a 22-19 lead after a kill from Reberry. The Hawks extended their lead to 24-20 but the Tritons wouldn't quit rattling off three straight points to pull within one after Iyannah Jackson and Maggie Johnson blocked Reberry.
 
UMSL was unable to complete the comeback as Kenzie Hines recorded a kill to end the match and give Rockhurst the 25-23 victory.
 
The Tritons hit .255 for the match with 58 kills against 19 errors in 153 attempts. Santel led the way for UMSL with 15 kills while Jackson added 14 and Voorhees finished with 10. Caitlin Bishop handed out 52 assists, Jackson and Bishop had two aces apiece and Skylar Weaver matched her season-high with 22 digs.
 
The Hawks had 59 kills against 14 errors in 154 chances and were led by Reberry with 19 kills while Sarah Pyle and Sydney Raszler had 14 and 12 kills respectively. Sarah Montague handed out 29 assists, Olson added six blocks and Maureen Reilly had a match-high 24 digs.
 
The Tritons continue their three-game road trip on Saturday traveling to Liberty, Mo., to take on William Jewell at 4 p.m.