MUW Edges Red Devils in Four Sets

EUREKA – On Saturday, the Eureka volleyball team nearly sent a St. Louis Intercollegiate Athletic Conference contest against the Mississippi University for Women to five sets.

The Red Devils were in every game and tied the match at one set apiece with a 26-24 win in Set 2. However, the Owls controlled the third set the whole way through, and they managed to hold off the home team in the fourth set to keep it from going the distance.

The final scores were 19-25, 26-24, 19-25, 20-25.

Eureka's Halle Gauna (Arcola, Ill./Arcola/Lincoln Trail College) racked up a team-high 12 kills, along with three solo blocks, three block assists, four digs and two service aces. Her 12 kills were a season-high.

Alexis Charlton (Eureka, Ill./Eureka) and Daizjah Shannon (East St. Louis, Ill./Chahokia/Lincoln) both contributed six kills.

Hope McGinnes (Mackinaw, Ill./Deer Creek-Mackinaw/Lincoln), Jurnee Flournoy (Decatur, Ill./Decatur MacArthur) and Payton Florine (Galesburg, Ill./Abingdon-Avon/Lincoln) posted 19, 16 and 11 digs, respectively. McGinnes registered 14 assists.

The Red Devils out hit and out played the Owls in the second set, recording a .270 hitting percentage to their .158 and notching four more kills.

The two teams hit evenly in the third set, posting even .143 hitting percentages, and there was only one-hundredth of a difference in the fourth and final set.

Before the match, Eureka College recognized senior Brittney Mekelburg (Johnstown, Colo./Roosevelt/St. Andrews) for her contributions to the program.

Eureka (3-17, 2-12 St. Louis Intercollegiate Athletic Conference) will be back at Reagan Athletic Complex for another home match on Tuesday when Greenville (16-8, 11-1 SLIAC) comes to town. First serve is set for 7 p.m.