COLUMBIA, Mo. — Owls volleyball (1-6, 0-5 Heart) defeated Stephens College (4-11, 2-2 AMC) in three sets in their nonconference matchup Wednesday night.
Junior outside hitter Nora Loeffler recorded six kills on a .500 hitting percentage in the opening set as the Owls took a 25-21 victory.
William Woods took the second set 25-20, using a late 5-0 run to turn a 20-18 lead into a two-set lead. Loeffler and Roberta Carlos da Silva each recorded three kills in the set, while Ryleigh Sander added seven assists.
The Owls carried their momentum into the third set, building a 15-8 advantage after a 7-0 run. Stephens responded with a late push, cutting the deficit to 23-21, but William Woods closed out the match with a Stephens service error and a kill from Carlos Da Silva to secure the 25-21 victory.
Carlos de Silva led the Owls offensively with 13 kills, while Loeffler finished with 10 kills. Sander recorded a team-high 23 assists and 18 digs, while Mackenzie Wilson added 19 digs.
The victory marked the first win for Ike Papes as head coach of the Owls. The win also snapped a three-match losing streak against their former AMC rival dating back to Sept. 26, 2023.
As a team, William Woods recorded 39 kills, nine blocks and 89 digs while holding Stephens to a .046 hitting percentage.
The Owls return to action Friday when they travel to Canton to take on Culver-Stockton at 6 p.m.
