Columbia, MO - The Stephens College volleyball team put together an impressive day in front of the home crowd at Silverthorne Arena on Saturday, picking up two conference victories to improve to 7-7 overall and 4-1 in AMC play. The Stars were efficient, balanced, and energized from start to finish, first sweeping Williams Baptist in the morning before securing a four-set win over Cottey in the evening.
Match 1: Stephens 3, Williams Baptist 0
Stephens set the tone early with one of its most dominant performances of the season, rolling to a 25-9, 25-14, 25-13 sweep. The Stars attacked at an incredible .516 clip as a team, finishing with 37 kills on just 62 attempts and committing only five errors across all three sets. Makenna Bollinger led the offense with 11 kills on a .563 hitting percentage, while Lena Hunziker followed with nine kills at a .600 clip. Fernanda Izar was flawless at the net, recording seven kills with a perfect 1.000 hitting percentage. Setter Emma Whitson directed the attack with 28 assists and made an impact from the service line with five aces. Her consistent distribution allowed Stephens to stay in system and maintain offensive rhythm throughout the match. Defensively, Michalina Oles and Hunziker combined for three blocks, while the back row limited Williams Baptist to a -.044 team hitting percentage. The Stars never trailed in the first or third sets, closing out the sweep in convincing fashion.
Match 2: Stephens 3, Cottey 1
The second match of the day featured a tougher test, but Stephens responded with poise and depth, defeating Cottey 25-10, 25-15, 23-25, 25-12. The Stars came out strong in the opening set, hitting .464 as a team and keeping Cottey off balance with aggressive serving and quick transitions. Lena Hunziker led the attack with a match-high 15 kills on a .353 hitting percentage, continuing her strong play from earlier in the day. Michalina Oles and Amari Branch-Autman also reached double figures with 11 kills each, and Bollinger chipped in seven more. Freshman Duru Eriz provided a spark off the bench with four kills on 11 swings. Whitson delivered another standout performance, notching 49 assists to set a fast-paced offense and adding seven digs. The Stars were sharp from the service line with 11 aces, including four from Jatnna Peña Perez, who also anchored the back row with 25 digs. Stephens' defense held Cottey to a .092 hitting percentage, and the Stars closed the match by hitting .417 in the fourth set to put the contest away.
Stephens leaves the day with renewed momentum, having won six of its last eight matches. The Stars will look to build on the strong weekend when they return to AMC action next week, aiming to continue their climb in the conference standings.
