Westminster volleyball closed out the Washburn Invitational on Saturday against host Washburn, the No. 8 team in the country in NCAA Division II, taking the nationally ranked Ichabods the distance in a four-set battle at Lee Arena, 1-3 (17-25, 25-23, 12-25, 22-25).
GAME BREAKDOWN
Set OneÂ
Washburn opened the match with a 25-17 win, but Kyra Mahler set the tone early, going a perfect 4-for-4 for kills. Elsa Gilmore and Apiline White each added a kill and served an ace, and Tiia Heikkinen hit .500 while running the offense with six assists and a dig. Ava Livolsi also served an ace to help keep the set competitive.
Set TwoÂ
Westminster answered to even the match, winning 25-23. Claire Cook led the way with five kills, and Apiline White added three kills on a .333 clip. Tiia Heikkinen ran the attack with 10 assists, two aces and five digs, while Ava Livolsi added two aces and seven digs of her own. Kyra Mahler chipped in offensively and helped anchor the block with two assisted blocks.
Set ThreeÂ
Washburn took the third set, 25-12. Westminster still found bright spots, with Claire Cook and Elsa Gilmore each recording three kills and Kyra Mahler hitting .400. Apiline White added a kill on .500 hitting, Tiia Heikkinen ran the offense with nine assists and an ace, and Kuuipomakamae Hunt passed well in the back row.
Set FourÂ
The Griffins battled into the twenties before Washburn closed out the match, 25-22. Claire Cook and Elsa Gilmore each posted three kills — Gilmore hitting .429 with two aces, and Cook adding two assisted blocks to go with a perfect night at the service-receive line. Kyra Mahler and Alie Coleman each contributed at the net, with Mahler recording four assisted blocks and Coleman going a perfect 1-for-1 for a kill. Ava Livolsi added an ace and six digs, and Heikkinen closed with six assists and six digs in the set.
GRIFFIN PERFORMANCESÂ
Claire Cook led Westminster with 11 kills on the match.Â
Elsa Gilmore added 10 kills on a .269 clip and paced the team with a match-high 14.0 points. Kyra Mahler chipped in eight kills on a highly efficient .471 hitting percentage.Â
Setter Tiia Heikkinen ran the attack with 31 assists to go with 12 digs
Libero Ava Livolsi anchored the back row with 16 digs.Â
As a team, the Griffins served up 11 aces and finished with 16 block assists and 56 digs against one of the top defenses in the country.
Mahler's performance across the tournament — highlighted by her efforts in the Washburn match — earned her a spot on the Washburn Invitational All-Tournament Team, a notable honor considering it came in her very first collegiate matches.
Up Next
Westminster wraps its season-opening trip to Topeka having faced four quality opponents, including a nationally ranked Washburn squad, as the Griffins head back to Salt Lake City to continue building on their opening weekend.
