COLUMBIA, Mo. — The Stephens College volleyball team had a busy day, sweeping Bethany College in straight sets (25-17, 25-22, 25-17) before falling to Culver-Stockton College in four sets (20-25, 20-25, 25-16, 21-25) in the Stephens Tri-Match on Saturday.

In the first match, Stephens (2-10) came out strong against Bethany (5-6), hitting .248 as a team and dominating from the service line with five aces. 
Junior outside hitter Makenna Bollinger led the Stars with 11 kills on a .550 hitting percentage, while junior Amari Branch-Autman added five kills and four blocks. 

Freshman Madison Threlkeld chipped in six kills, helping the Stars take the second set 25-22 and finish the sweep with a commanding 25-17 third set.

Libero Jatnna Peña-Perez recorded 14 digs, while setter Emma Whitson orchestrated the offense with 32 assists. 

The Stars' defense limited Bethany to a .134 hitting percentage. However, Stephens struggled to maintain momentum in their second match against Culver-Stockton (9-5). The Wildcats took control early, winning the first two sets 20-25 before the Stars rallied to claim the third set 25-16. Despite a competitive fourth set, Culver-Stockton edged out Stephens 25-21 to seal the match.

Jamie Russell led the Stars' offense with 11 kills, while Branch-Autman added 10 kills and one block. Threlkeld and Lena Hunziker each contributed six kills, with Threlkeld also adding eight points. Peña-Perez once again shined defensively, racking up 23 digs, while Whitson added 34 assists.

Culver-Stockton's defense held Stephens to a .043 hitting percentage in the match.

The Stars will look to bounce back as they prepare for their next match on Tuesday, Sept. 24 as they begin their AMC schedule against Cottey College at 5 p.m. in Silverthorne Arena.