Lexie Rang had a total of 52 kills and 57 digs over the weekend at the McKendree Invitational as the No. 5 UMSL volleyball team beat RV Harding, Maryville, Illinois Springfield and McKendree to improve to 12-0 on the season. That matches the best start in school history. (Photo by Patrick Clark/Athlete’s Eye Photography)
Volleyball
The fifth-ranked University of Missouri–St. Louis volleyball team matched its best start in school history when it went 4-0 in last weekend’s McKendree Invitational to improve to 12-0 on the season. The Tritons knocked off RV Harding in four sets 25-22, 23-25, 25-20, 25-23 on Friday before sweeping matches against Maryville (25-14, 25-21, 25-19), Illinois Springfield (25-13, 25-15, 25-16) and McKendree (25-19, 31-29, 25-19). Outside hitter Delaney Humm had a team-high 63 kills in the four matches, and fellow senior Lexie Rang added 52 kills and 57 digs. Sophomore setter Caitlin Bishop finished with 161 assists while directing UMSL’s attack. The Tritons will open Great Lakes Valley Conference play with home matches against William Jewell on Friday and Rockhurst on Saturday.
Men’s Soccer
UMSL got off to a strong start in GLVC play, beating William Jewell 2-0 on Friday night in Liberty, Missouri, before playing Rockhurst to a scoreless draw on Sunday in Kansas City. Junior back Luca Saewe and senior midfielder Bobby Boone each scored against the the Cardinals, who were outshot 11-9. It was Saewe’s second goal of the season. Junior Austin Reis made six saves to record his first shutout of the season. Reis then made four saves to hold the Hawks scoreless even as they outshot the Tritons 13-3 on Sunday. UMSL (2-0-2, 1-0-1 GLVC) will visit McKendree on Sunday in its only match of the week.
Women’s Soccer
The Tritons knocked off William Jewell and Rockhurst in back-to-back road matches to get off to a 2-0 start in GLVC play. UMSL scored three unanswered goals to beat Jewell 3-1 Friday in Liberty, Missouri, after first falling behind in the third minute. Junior forward Jada Holloman scored twice, and junior back Jaycee Cotton also found the back of the net on a day when the Tritons outshot the Cardinals 9-2. Junior forward Kendal White scored the lone goal Sunday inside the left post from 6 yards out as UMSL beat Rockhurst 1-0. The Tritons were outshot 14-7, but freshman goalkeeper Grace Hastert made five saves to record the shutout. UMSL’s lone match of the week will be on Sunday at McKendree.
Women’s Golf
The 24th-ranked Tritons opened their season by finishing in a tie for ninth at last week’s UIndy Fall Invitational, played last Monday and Tuesday at Prairie View Golf Club in Carmel, Indiana. UMSL finished with a combined score of 942 in 54-hole tournament and were 56 shots behind tournament-winner Findlay. Sophomore Wilma Zanderau had a strong tournament individually, posting a combined score of 219 to finish in a four-way tie for third place and make the all-tournament team. Senior Victoria Klausner was the only other UMSL golfer to place in the top 30, tying for 26th with a total of 229. The Tritons are now playing in Dallas Baptist University’s Women’s Fall Classic, which teed off Sunday in Denton, Texas. UMSL was in 15th place after an opening-round score of 309. The tournament was continuing on Monday and will wrap up on Tuesday.
Men’s and Women’s Cross Country
Both UMSL cross country teams placed fifth in their respective races at the Bradley Intercollegiate, run Friday evening at Detweiler Park in Peoria, Illinois. Benjamin VandenBrink and Jacob Warner each placed among the top 12 individually in the 8-kilometer men’s race with VandenBrink posting a time of 24 minutes, 15.6 seconds to take fourth and Warner finishing 12th in a time of 24:43.7. Lily Wagemann paced the women’s team with a 19th-place showing in the women’s 5-kilometer race with a time of 18:12.9. Kayley Heeter also finished in the top 25 with a 18:25.6. Both teams will next compete in the Live in the Lou Classic on Sept. 30 at E.P. “Tom” Sawyer State Park in Louisville, Kentucky.
Men’s Tennis
The Tritons competed in the Quincy Invitational on Friday at Reservoir Park in Quincy, Illinois, but Saturday’s matches were canceled due to weather. Raphael Kerndl won his lone singles match 6-2, 7-6 (3) over Quincy’s Gianni Lopez and also teamed with Juan Vigil to go 2-0 in the No. 1 doubles draw. UMSL will next compete on Oct. 6 when Missouri Baptist visits the UMSL Tennis Courts.
