St. Louis, Mo. – The Stephens College volleyball team put together a dominant showing on Saturday, earning two straight-set victories over Mission University and Harris-Stowe State. The Stars improved to 19-11 overall and 11-1 in conference play, continuing their strong push toward the postseason.
Match 1: Stephens 3, Mission 0
The Stars opened the day with a commanding 25-17, 25-20, 25-17 sweep over Mission University, setting the tone early with sharp execution on both sides of the ball. Stephens hit .222 as a team and limited Mission to a .039 attack percentage. Amari Branch-Autman powered the offense with 11 kills on a .381 hitting percentage, while Lena Hunziker added 10 kills and a pair of service aces to help fuel the attack. Fernanda Izar provided a steady presence in the middle with six kills, two blocks, and a .308 hitting mark, while setter Emma Whitson orchestrated the offense with 32 assists and two service aces.
Defensively, Jatnna Peña-Perez anchored the back row with 26 digs, helping the Stars handle Mission's attacks efficiently and maintain long rallies. Stephens' composure in transition and consistent serve receive allowed the team to control the tempo throughout the match. The win marked another step forward in Stephens' continued climb up the conference standings.
Match 2: Stephens 3, Harris-Stowe 0
In their second match of the day, Stephens carried their momentum into a 25-11, 25-17, 25-20 sweep over Harris-Stowe State to close out the weekend. The Stars' offense was balanced and effective, led by Michalina Oles and Branch-Autman, who each tallied nine kills. Izar turned in one of her most efficient performances of the season, finishing with eight kills on a .538 hitting percentage, while Whitson once again guided the offense with 32 assists and contributed three service aces and two blocks.
Peña-Perez continued her stellar defensive play with 24 digs, while Syerra Mitchell added four service aces to keep Harris-Stowe under pressure from the service line. Stephens' energy and depth were on full display as they maintained control throughout all three sets, using steady defense and smart decision-making at the net to keep the Hornets from finding rhythm.
