The UMSL volleyball team celebrated a pair of dramatic victories last week as it closed out the regular season and improved to 22-7 entering the Great Lakes Valley Conference Tournament.
Volleyball
UMSL twice rallied from 0-2 deficits last week to secure a pair of dramatic victories, topping McKendree Tuesday on the road and Illinois Springfield Saturday at home. The two wins gave the Tritons 22 on the season, the program’s most since 2008. Sophomore Selena Nolte averaged 3.60 kills per set, recording 20 total at McKendree and 16 against UIS. Senior Kara Roggemann, meanswhile, averaged 1.20 blocks per set to go with 1.80 kills per set. UMSL (22-7, 12-6 GLVC) will be seeded sixth when it opens play in the Great Lakes Valley Conference Tournament play Friday in East Peoria, Illinois. It will take on No. 3 seed Rockhurst at 11:30 a.m. in the first match of the tournament.
Women’s Basketball
The Tritons opened their season with a 75-67 win over Davenport on Friday but fell to Grand Valley State 61-58 on Saturday. Senior Shawnta Johnson averaged 13.5 points, 7.0 rebounds and 3.0 assists. UMSL saw Davenport erase a 19-point lead and needed overtime to pull out the victory. The Tritons (1-1) rallied from a 14-point deficit against Grand Valley State, but came up short. They will play at Kentucky State on Saturday.
Men’s Basketball
UMSL went 1-1 last weekend in the season-opening GLVC-GLIAC Challenge in Big Rapids, Michigan. The Tritons got a game-winning 3-pointer from freshman Anthony Hughes to defeat Grand Valley State 64-62 on Friday but lost 70-46 to 10th-ranked Ferris State on Saturday. Senior Elijah Watson averaged 9.0 points and 5.0 assists while senior Steven Davis also averaged 9.0 points. UMSL (1-1) hosts Webster on Tuesday in its home opener before traveling to Missouri Southern on Saturday.
Men’s and Women’s Swimming
The Tritons men won three events in a dual against Lindenwood on Saturday. Senior Nico Ruiz took first in the 100-yard freestyle and helped the 400-yard medley relay to a win along with junior Radoslaw Chupka, freshman Michael Franz and sophomore Gabo Jimenez. Sophomore Patryk Golinski won the 200-yard individual medley. On the women’s side, sophomore Merel Visser won the 200-yard butterfly. Lindenwood defeated the UMSL men 127-67 and the women 138-54. The Tritons return to the pool Friday and Saturday at the Missouri S&T Triangular.
