Scots Volleyball Holds Off Webster in Five-Set Win

Bergschneider has career night in Monmouth victory

by Nathan Baliva

MONMOUTH, Ill. (10/08/2022) — The Monmouth College volleyball team went the distance to beat Webster University on Friday in their first of two weekend matches against SLIAC opponents. With the 25-18, 25-23, 22-25, 22-25, 15-8 non-conference win, the Scots are now 7-10 on the season.

The first set was tight early with both teams having the lead. Monmouth won three straight points after a 7-7 tie and built the lead to 15-9. The Scots kept the pressure on and led by seven for most of the set, winning 25-18 on a kill from Paige Bergschneider (Alexander, Illinois).

The second set had 13 ties and four lead changes. Neither team led by more than three until the Scots took a 21-17 lead. Webster rallied and cut the Monmouth lead to 24-23 before they had an error that gave the Scots a 2-0 lead.

The Scots jumped out to a 5-0 lead in the third set but Webster cut the lead back down to two. The Scots went on a run for a 16-10 lead and led 17-13 before Webster pulled even at 19-19. The Scots went back on top 22-20 but the Gorlocks won five straight to take the set 25-22.

The fourth set had six more ties and two lead changes. The Scots took the lead at 4-3 but Webster went back on top 9-8 and never gave up the lead. The lead went to six at 19-13 and then to seven at 23-16. Monmouth cut it down to 24-22 but the Gorlocks won the set to even the match.

Webster took a 2-0 lead in the fifth set but after the Scots pulled even at 3-3, they never trailed again. The lead went to 6-3 on a four-point run and then extended to 11-6. The Gorlocks got back on serve at 13-8 but Monmouth finished the match with a kill from Layne Wright (Davenport, Iowa) and an ace by Bergschneider.

Bergschneider had career-highs in assists (52), aces (4), kills (4), digs (28) and blocks (2). Her 52 assists are the most in a match by any Monmouth player since current assistant coach Mollie Murdock had 55 in a 5-set match on Oct. 26, 2012 against Lake Forest.

Wright led the Scots with 21 kills while Sarah LaHood (East Peoria, Illinois) had 14 and Amanda Dybal (Apex, North Carolina) had 12. LaHood had two aces and four blocks while Dybal also had four blocks. CeCe Palladino (Volo, Illinois) led the Scots with five blocks. Savannah Robinson (Delavan, Illinois) had 41 digs and Lauryn Jeffries (Lakeland, Florida) had 21.

The Scots play at Blackburn on Saturday at 1 p.m. before returning home for a 7 p.m. contest against Illinois College on Wednesday.