ST. LOUIS—The Truman Volleyball team got back on the court for their first match since November of 2019 on Friday night and picked up where they left off at the end of the last season (winning three of their last four matches) by taking down Maryville 3-1 (25-21, 17-25, 25-17, 25-17). Ellie Kaat and Sam Yancy led the way with eight kills each and Katy Motz tallied 21 assists in her Truman debut. Rachel DeFries had a double-double with 14 assists and 14 digs. Lindsay Woltering led the way with 15 digs and Emma Berthold picked up five block assists in her first action since 2018.
The first set was back and forth through the first 12 points, with six going to each side. But Truman took the momentum by taking six of the next seven points. A kill from Allison Beaton started the run with a kill, the first of her career. Lindsay Woltering served the next two points for the Bulldogs and then a kill from Ainsley Heise started another 3-0 spurt which made it 12-7 Truman. Maryville fought back to make it 13-11 Bulldogs, but a block from Heise and Berthold kept the Saints at bay and started a 4-2 run for Truman that reestablished a four point lead at 17-13. Maryville fought back to tie the set at 18, but a 3-0 run from Truman with kills from Kaat and Yancy gave the Bulldogs a 21-18 advantage. Truman closed the set on another 3-0 run to win the set by four.
In the second set, Maryville started quickly and Truman never got their rhythm going as the Saints won the set by eight to tie the match at one apiece.
In the third set, Truman came out hot by scoring the first four points—with kills from Kaat, Hanna Berry and Beaton. Maryville fought back with three straight, but Morgan Smith got the next two kills to make it 6-3. The set was tight throughout, but with Truman up 17-15 they scored eight of the final ten points to take the set by eight. DeFries tallied an ace, Berthold picked up a kill, as did Berry.
The Bulldogs came out fast in the fourth set as they took five of the first six points. Berry picked up two more kills. Maryville fought back to make it 7-6, but Truman answered with a 6-2 run that included a block from Beaton (one of her two assisted blocks, along with a solo block) and first career ace from Motz. Maryville would battle back to within two at 14-12, but ultimately the Bulldogs were too much as a 3-0 run restored a five point edge and Maryville would not get any closer than three points. Truman took six of the last seven points to close the set and the match.
Overall the Bulldogs held the Saints to a .071 hitting percentage while the Bulldogs hit .167 with 42 kills.
Truman will be back at it tomorrow at Quincy, who began the season 1-0 with a win over William Jewell Friday night. First serve will be at 3:00 p.m. Saturday.
