FULTON, Mo. – The William Woods University women's volleyball defeated Avila University 3-1 (25-17, 24-14, 18-25, 25-17), snapping a three-match losing streak for the Owls. William Woods had a hitting percentage of .117% on the night.
 
Prior to the start of the match, the Owls honored senior Melanie Kala for her 1,000th career dig that was recorded last Tuesday in a victory over Missouri Valley.
 
The Owls head to La Crosse Wis. this weekend to play in the Viterbo Tournament. They will play two matches on Friday starting with St. Xavier University (Ill.). First serve is scheduled for 3 p.m. WWU will then play No. 5 Viterbo University (Wis.) at 7 p.m. Friday night.

Game Flow
Avila got off to a quick start to begin the first set. A kill from Amara Meeks pushed the Eagles ahead of the Owls 1-0 and would spark a 5-0 run. An attack error from Avilas Allison Rose would put the Owls on the board for the time in the match. William Woods would continue to struggle finding a way to score until, Remie Johnson found Tory Wiley for the kill giving Avila a 5-2 lead.  The Eagles went on the score after a Rayleen Rivera ball handling error, but the Owls would respond by scoring ten consecutive points.
 
With WWU ahead 11-9, Avila did not disappear, back-to-back kills from Savanna Stevens tied the set 11-11. Both teams battled but neither could get a large enough lead. Finally, an attack error from Eagles Hannah Mast sparked an 8-0 William Woods run giving them a 23-15 cushion. Avila would go on to score two more times before the Owls took the set, 25-17.  
 
WWU continued their momentum as they got out to an early 4-0 lead in the second set. The Owls would continue their push until Hannah Mast found Paige Rackers for a kill making the score 8-2.  William Woods dominated the second set not allowing Avila to get within ten points. With the score, 21-10, the Owls stretched the lead to 24-11. After three straight points by the Eagles, the Owls ended the set with a kill by Sydney Bullock, 25-14, taking a 2-0 lead.
 
In desperation for a set, Avila broke out early going on a 5-0 run in the third set. The Owls would respond by going on a run of their own and tied the game at five a piece. Neither team was able to break free in the set. Avila would score and WWU would respond right back. The back and fourth action would come to an end when Rackers got a kill giving the Eagles a 20-16 lead. William Woods had opportunities to score but could not find a way to get past the Eagles. Avila would win the third set 25-18.
 
Confident and energized, the Eagles put the first point on the board in the fourth set giving them a 1-0 lead. Avila would hold onto the lead until an attack error from Maria Valleroy put the Owls ahead 9-8. With the Owls head 12-11, WWU scored five straight points that saw Kayton Coffee have two aces and Hannah Kuehl have two kills.  WWU grew the lead to 21-12, after a Rayleen River a kill. The Owls did not let Avila back in the game and WWU won the fourth set, 25-17. WWU won the match 3-1.
 
By the Numbers
.117 – William Woods had a .117 hitting percentage
38 – WWU had 38 kills in the match
8 – Kate Doerhoff and Tory Wiley led the Owls with 8 kills
5 – Rayleen Rivera led WWU with 5 aces
5 – Hannah Kuehl finished with 5 blocks
20 – Remie Johnson recorded 20 assists in the match
19 – Jessica Jensen had 19 digs in the contest
10 – The Owls recorded 10 blocks in the match against the Eagles