Springfield, Ill. – The SBU women's volleyball team bounced back in dominant fashion Saturday afternoon, defeating the University of Illinois Springfield in four sets. The Bearcats took the match 25-12, 26-28, 25-12, and 25-17 to improve to 12-7 overall and 3-4 in GLVC play.
SBU controlled the match offensively, recording an impressive 66 kills on a .342 hitting percentage while holding the Prairie Stars to just .147. The Bearcats came out firing in the opening set, hitting .483 before narrowly dropping the second. SBU responded with a dominant third set, hitting .410 with 17 kills and just one attacking error to regain control of the match.
Gabriela Dupree put together an outstanding performance, leading the Bearcats with a season-high 25 kills on a .457 hitting percentage while adding 20 digs for a double-double. Julia Marinesi followed with 17 kills on a .385 hitting percentage and 16 digs, also recording a double-double. Kailey Sexton added nine kills while hitting .368, and Essence Gilmer contributed eight kills.
Danika Mejico directed the offense with 27 assists and 13 digs, while Allie Hawk added 21 assists and 11 digs. Marinesi also led SBU from the service line with three aces, followed by Audrey Weber with two.
The Bearcats finished with a commanding 66-39 advantage in kills and an 81-70 edge in digs. Southwest Baptist will now head to the Midwest Region Crossover next weekend in Hammond, Indiana.
