LAMONI, Iowa – William Woods University (8-3, 1-0 HAAC) opened Heart of America Athletic Conference play in historic fashion, earning a 3-1 victory over Graceland University (4-8, 0-1 HAAC) in their first-ever HAAC contest. 

Fresh off a dominant 4-0 weekend at the Missouri Valley Viking Invitational—a tournament highlighted by setter Erin Tries reaching her 2,000th career assist—the Owls faced one of the most established programs in the conference. Graceland, coached by NAIA Hall of Famer Stew McDole, took control early with scoring runs of five and four consecutive points to claim set one, 25-21. 

William Woods bounced back in set two, jumping out to an early 5-2 lead. After the Yellowjackets tied it at 5-5, the Owls kept pace before pulling away to a 20-15 advantage. Behind a powerful performance from reigning HAAC Attacker of the Week Luciana Paiva Pereira, who tallied seven points in the set, WWU evened the match with a 25-17 win. 

Set three was all Owls. Coach Aubrey Wilson's squad delivered a near-flawless performance, posting 12 kills on a .733 hitting percentage to dominate 25-10. The tone was set early, with Erin Tries dishing out two quick assists to Paiva Pereira for kills, giving WWU an early 3-0 lead. Eight different Owls contributed points in the set, showcasing the team's depth and cohesion.  

The fourth and final set proved to be the most competitive of the night. Both teams traded points deep into the set, tied at 26 apiece. WWU pulled ahead after a sharp cross-court set from Ryleigh Sander found Lorenza Lagana for a crucial kill. With match point on the line, Cecilia Campos stepped up to serve. The Yellowjackets managed to return the serve, but Sander once again connected with Lagana, who sealed the match with another decisive kill, giving the Owls a 28-26 win and a 3-1 match victory. 

With the win, William Woods not only improves to 8-3 on the season but also secures a milestone first conference victory in HAAC play. 

The Owls return to action Tuesday night in Marshall, Missouri, for another HAAC matchup against Missouri Valley College. First serve is set for 7 p.m. in the Burns Center.