ST. LOUIS – The University of Missouri-St. Louis volleyball team picked up two wins on Saturday defeating Sioux Falls 3-1 and Adams State 3-0 on the final day of the Rosella Meier Fall Classic at the UNK Health & Science Center in Kearney, Neb.

Match 1 – UMSL 3 Sioux Falls 1
The Tritons (6-2) built a five-point lead midway through the opening frame but the Cougars (3-3) rallied cutting the deficit to 21-19 after a kill from Sadie Voss. UMSL countered with three straight points to reach set point after an error by Voss. USF fought off two set points but an attack error from Aubrey Gates gave the Tritons the opening set 25-21.

The Cougars raced out to an 8-0 lead to start the second frame but UMSL rallied cutting the deficit to 13-11 after a kill from Alayna Santel. However, that would be the closest the Tritons got as USF scored six of the next seven points to extend its lead to 19-12. UMSL fought off two set points to pull within 24-21 but couldn't complete the comeback as Voss recorded a kill giving the Cougars a 25-21 victory.

The swing set went back-and-forth with each side building a multi-point lead. It was tied at 17 when the Tritons began to pull away getting a kill from Maggie Johnson, an ace serve from Iyannah Jackson and a kill from Hannah Copeland to grab a 20-17 lead. The Cougars scored three of the next five points to pull within 22-20 but UMSL wouldn't allow them to get any closer as it took advantage of two errors and a kill from Jackson to win the stanza 25-20.

The Tritons trailed by as many as five to start the fourth set before rallying with six straight points to take an 11-10 lead after an error by Ella Walker. USF tied it after a service error but UMSL scored the next three points to take a lead it wouldn't relinquish. That lead grew to seven at 20-13 after a kill from Bridget Cassady. The Cougars cut the deficit to four but wouldn't get any closer as the Tritons closed the match on a 5-2 run to win 25-18.

UMSL hit .242 for the match with 57 kills against 19 errors in 157 attempts and had three players reach double figures in kills led by Santel with 17. Johnson and Cassady added 14 and 11 kills respectively. Caitlin Bishop had 45 assists and 15 digs, Reese Baker served three aces and Santel and Copeland had two blocks each.

Match 2 – UMSL 3 Adams State 0
The Tritons never trailed in the opening set against the Grizzlies (3-6) as it scored the first four points of the match and led by as many as nine at 24-15 after a kill from Santel. ASU fought off a set point before a kill from Copeland gave set one to UMSL 25-16.

The middle frame was even at 20 when the Tritons took the lead after an error from Hadleigh Richardson. The Grizzlies scored back-to-back points to regain the lead but Santel brought the Tritons back level with a kill. The two sides traded points and were tied at 23 when UMSL got an ace serve from Santel to reach set point first. ASU tied it as Richardson and Rowan Tribelhorn blocked Cassady. The Tritons retook the lead after a service error from Richardson and then won it after a kill from Johnson.

UMSL dominated set three building a 16-7 lead and wouldn't let the Grizzlies get closer than four as it scored the final three points to win 25-18 and complete the sweep.

The Tritons hit .198 in the contest with 38 kills against 17 errors in 106 attempts. Johnson led the way with a match-high 14 kills while Santel and Copeland had seven kills apiece. Bishop handed out 30 assists, Santel served three aces, Johnson and Copeland had two blocks each and Skylar Weaver had a match-high 22 digs.

UMSL returns to action next Friday as it travels to Boca Raton, Fla., for the Hyatt Place Bash at the Beach. The Tritons will take on top ranked Lynn at 12 p.m. (CDT) and Flagler at 3 p.m. (CDT) at the de Hoernle Sports Center on the Lynn campus.