Coach Ryan Young (at left) and members of the UMSL volleyball team celebrate the program’s first-ever GLVC Tournament title. (Photo by Jared McFarlane/Great Lakes Valley Conference)
The University of Missouri–St. Louis volleyball team has compiled an impressive list of accomplishments over the past five seasons, including back-to-back appearances in the NCAA Division II national semifinals, four NCAA Tournament appearances overall and three Great Lakes Valley Conference regular-season championships.
But Coach Ryan Young’s team managed to achieve something over the weekend that had never been done in school history.
The Tritons won the program’s first GLVC Tournament championship, dispatching of Lewis, Indianapolis and Quincy in successive days to secure the title on Sunday afternoon in Williamsville, Illinois.
UMSL topped the Hawks 25-23, 25-19, 25-27, 25-23 in the championship match at Williamsville High School Fieldhouse, ensuring its fourth NCAA Tournament appearance in as many years and sixth in the past seven. The Tritons will learn where they’ll begin their next NCAA Tournament journey when the Midwest Regional and other brackets are revealed during the Selection Show at 5:30 p.m. Monday.
No matter who UMSL winds up playing in its opening-round match, it will do so riding a 19-match winning streak. The Tritons haven’t lost since falling to Palm Beach Atlantic in four sets on Sept. 20 in the final match at the Hyatt Place Bash at the Beach in Palm Beach, Florida.
Young’s team, ranked first in the latest Midwest Regional rankings, went 13-0 against GLVC opponents during the regular season. UMSL was forced into a fifth set only twice during the conference schedule – at home against Quincy on Oct. 4 and at Lewis on Nov. 1.
The Tritons were so dominant during the regular season that they accounted for more than a third of the members of the All-GLVC first team when postseason honors were announced last week. Setter Caitlin Bishop, outside hitters Alayna Santel and Maggie Johnson, middle blocker Iyannah Jackson and libero Skylar Weaver were all chosen for the first team. Middle blocker Hannah Copeland was a second-team selection.
Bishop was named GLVC Player of the Year for the second time, Weaver was the league’s Libero of the Year, and Young received his fourth GLVC Coach of the Year Award and third in the past four seasons.
UMSL had to survive a challenge from eighth-seeded Lewis in the first round of the GLVC Tournament on Friday. The Flyers forced the Tritons to a fifth set for the second time this season, but UMSL pulled out a 25-21, 20-25, 25-14, 21-25, 15-10 victory, snapping Lewis’ four-year run as GLVC Tournament champions and ending its 18-year streak of NCAA Tournament appearances.
Santel had 25 kills, Johnson added 15, Jackson and Bridget Cassady each had 11 and Copeland finished with 10. Bishop tallied 57 assists, and Weaver had a match-high 19 digs.
UMSL won a little more comfortably against UIndy, topping the Greyhounds 25-22, 22-25, 25-19, 25-21. Santel again led the way with 19 kills, Johnson had 16, Cassady 14 and Copeland 10. Bishop finished with 55 assists and 13 digs. Weaver added 15 digs.
The Tritons won a tightly contested championship match by hitting .302 with 66 kills against 14 errors in 172 attempts against Quincy. Santel had 18 kills, Johnson had 17 and Copeland and Jackson finished with 11 and 10, respectively. Copeland also had eight blocks, Bishop totaled 57 assists and Weaver had a match-high 22 digs.
Bishop, Santel and Johnson were all named to the all-tournament team.
