COLUMBIA, Mo. — The Stephens College volleyball team continued their winning ways in the American Midwest Conference play, defeating William Woods University 3-1 (25-9, 25-20, 21-25, 25-19). The match, aired live on ABC 17, marked the first time in program history that the Stars were featured on the channel. With the victory, the Stars (5-11, 2-0 AMC) tied Columbia College for the top spot in the conference standings.

This marks the second consecutive year the Stars have topped William Woods, buoyed by an energetic home crowd. Stephens dominated early, hitting .321 in the first set en route to a 25-9 win.

Sophomore right-side hitter Madison Threlkeld led the Stars with 12 kills on a .524 hitting percentage. Stephens maintained control in the second set, winning 25-20, but William Woods (10-9, 0-2 AMC) responded with a 21-25 third-set victory to extend the match.

The Stars rallied in the fourth set, closing out the match with a 25-19 win. Key contributions came from setter Emma Whitson, who tallied 40 assists, and libero Jatnna Peña-Perez, who anchored the defense with 21 digs.

Makenna Bollinger added 11 kills, while Jamie Russell and Amari Branch-Autman each posted four blocks to stifle William Woods' attack, which was limited to a .007 hitting percentage.

"We accomplished exactly what we came to do," said head coach Maggie Hans. "This group is truly tenacious and has been working hard the past three weeks, prepping mentally and physically for conference play. We knew we were walking into a battle, and we finished it. It feels amazing to have the support and energy we had tonight, and beating WWU for the second time in a row is an incredible feeling."

Stephens now prepares for a critical match against Columbia College on Wednesday, Oct. 2, at 6 p.m. across town, as they look to continue their strong conference start.