Fourteen Westminster Student-Athletes Make The Grade

Fourteen Westminster College student-athletes have been named to the 2009 Fall St. Louis Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SLIAC) All-Academic Team. The student-athletes recognized are members of the Blue Jay cross-country, soccer and volleyball teams.

Click For SLIAC Release

Westminster Freshman And 2009 Volleyball Team Recognized

Freshman Alex Berry was named to the all-conference second team as voted on by the St. Louis Intercollegiate Athletic Conference coaches and the Westminster College volleyball squad was presented the 2009 Sportsmanship Award as voted on by conference teams. The awards were announced following the completion of Saturday's conference tournament final.

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2009 Season, Two Collegiate Careers Come To An End

The 2009 Westminster College volleyball season came to and end and the collegiate careers of seniors Shanna Crafts and Katie Morfeld came to an end with a 25-21, 25-11, 25-21 St. Louis Intercollegiate Athletic Conference loss to Principia College Tuesday in Fulton.

The Blue Jays (12-20, 5-11 SLIAC) were facing Principia (13-16, 7-9 SLIAC) on Senior Night, but Principia took control early in recording the conference sweep. Freshman Alex Berry and junior Meredith Gibbons led Westminster with seven kills each and junior Erin Rustemeyer dished out 19 assists. Crafts recorded a team-high 17 digs and concludes her four-year career as the Westminster career record holder with 1508 digs. Morfeld tallied four kills against Principia and finishes her career with 569 kills, 84 solo blocks and 105 block assists.

Westminster Goes 1-3 In Arkansas, Season Finale Tuesday

Westminster College went 1-3 at the Hendrix College Ghost Host Volleyball Classic over the weekend in Conway, Arkansas.

The Blue Jays (12-19) dropped two matches Friday. Williams Baptist College topped Westminster 19-25, 22-25, 25-16, 25-12, 15-11 and host Hendrix swept the Blue Jays 25-18, 25-18, 25-10. On Saturday, Westminster topped Central Baptist College 25-19, 25-13, 24-26, 25-19, and then fell to Ouachita Baptist University 25-18, 25-12, and 25-14.

Westminster closes out the 2009 season Tuesday with a 7:00 p.m. St. Louis Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Senior Night match against Principia College. It will mark the final match for seniors Shanna Crafts and Katie Morfeld.

Blue Jays Run Current Winning Streak To Three Matches

The Westminster College volleyball squad won its third match in a row with a 3-1 win over MacMurray College in St. Louis Intercollegiate Athletic Conference action Tuesday in Jacksonville, Illinois.

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Blue Jay Freshman Earns Weekly SLIAC Recognition

Westminster College's Alex Berry, a freshman from St. Louis, Missouri (Kirkwood High School), has been named the St. Louis Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Volleyball Player of the Week for the week of October 19-25.

Click For SLIAC Release

Westminster Volleyball Squad Records Saturday Sweep

For the second time in 17-hours the Westminster College volleyball squad faced Eureka College in St. Louis Intercollegiate Athletic Conference action and for the second time the match went the distance. The difference was the result. After falling in five sets Friday night the Blue Jays topped Eureka 25-10, 21-25, 21-25, 25-23, 16-14 Saturday morning in the first match of the Westminster Triangular II.

Westminster’s Meredith Gibbons, Molly Owens and Alex Berry each recorded 10 kills in Saturday’s victory. Erin Rustemeyer dished out 37 assists for the Blue Jays (10-16, 4-10 SLIAC). Danielle Bazan served up five aces and Shanna Crafts recorded 27 digs against Eureka (10-18, 6-6 SLIAC).

The Blue Jays faced Stephens College (5-13) in non-conference action in the day’s finale and swept the match in three sets, 25-18, 27-25, and 25-20. Owens recorded 14 kills and Berry finished with nine kills to lead the Westminster offense. Rustemeyer tallied 30 assists and Bazan finished with 13 digs.

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Westminster College Triangular II
Saturday, October 24, 2009
Westminster Gym, Fulton, Mo.

Westminster def. Eureka 25-10, 21-25, 21-25, 25-23, 16-14
Stephens def. Eureka 25-19, 21-25, 25-16, 25-27, 15-11
Westminster def. Stephens 25-18, 27-25, 25-20

Blue Jays Come Up Short On DIG PINK Night In Fulton

The Westminster College volleyball squad extended Greenville College to four sets in a St. Louis Intercollegiate Athletic Conference match in front of an enthusiastic crowd on DIG PINK Night in Fulton, but the Blue Jays (8-15, 3-9 SLIAC) came up short. Greenville (13-9, 8-3 SLIAC) took the match 25-18, 25-20, 19-25, 25-12.

Alex Berry led Westminster with 16 kills and Molly Owens finished with 11 kills. Erin Rustemeyer recorded 33 assists and Danielle Bazan tallied a team-high 15 digs for the Blue Jays, who continue their current home stand with conference matches with Eureka College this Friday and Saturday.

Blue Jays Bits: The Westminster team has been raising money for cancer awareness and research as part of the national DIG PINK Campaign. Tuesday’s match was just one part of the fundraising effort. The team has been selling shirts and a 5K run was held this past Sunday (see results below).

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Twenty-One Participate In Volleyball Team's DIG PINK 5K

Twenty-one individuals took part in Sunday's Dig Pink 5K, which was sponsored by the volleyball squad to raise money for cancer awareness and research.

DIG PINK 5K Results:
1. Brady Houska, 19:21
2. Michael Wilson, 20:22
3. Samur Wiel, 20:49
4. Chad Smith, 22:08
5. Craig Dennison, 25:55
6. Rita Yates, 28:41
7. Janice Houska, 27:05
8. Paula Luden, 30:24
9. Liz Jansen, 30:25
10. Amanda Stevens, 36:01
11. Jeremiah Johnson, 36:02
12. Gary Priaulx, 39:30
13. Cynthia Smith, 44:57
14. Anne LaRue, 45:52
15. Madalyn Maddox, 45:54
16. Janet Berg, 58:28
17. Cindy Bishop, 58:28
18. David Berry, 58:30
19. Stephen Bishop, 58:31
20. Dan Berry, 58:32
21. Ben Bishop, 58:35

Blue Jays Volleyball Squad Splits SLIAC Pair At Home

The Westminster College volleyball squad split a pair of St. Louis Intercollegiate Athletic Conference matches on Parents' Weekend/Homecoming Saturday in Fulton.

League-leading Webster University (14-9, 12-0) topped the Blue Jays in the opener 25-15, 25-21, 25-21. Meredith Gibbons and Alex Berry each finished with six kills for Westminster, Erin Rustemeyer recorded 20 assists and Danielle Bazan recorded a team-high 22 digs.

The Blue Jays (8-14, 3-8 SLIAC) downed Blackburn College (0-23, 0-13 SLIAC) in the finale 25-16, 25-19, 22-25, 25-8. Berry finished with a team-high 11 kills and Gibbons added eight kills. Rustemeyer dished out 31 assists and Molly Owens tallied 18 digs.

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Westminster Comes Close, But It Is Not Enough

The Westminster College volleyball squad came as close as they could , but came up short in dropping a 26-24, 26-24, 28-26 St. Louis Intercollegiate Athletic Conference decision to Fontbonne University Tuesday in St. Louis.

The Blue Jays (6-12, 1-6 SLIAC), who are 0-2 in the season series with Fontbonne (6-11, 6-3 SLIAC), got 11 kills from Kathryn Leetch, 35 assists from Erin Rustemeyer, and 25 digs from Danielle Bazan.

Blue Jay Volleyball Team Gets SLIAC Win In Saturday Split

Westminster College split a pair of volleyball matches Saturday at the Blackburn Triangular in Carlinville, Illinois.

The Blue Jays (6-11, 1-5 St. Louis Intercollegiate Athletic Conference) topped host Blackburn 25-19, 28-26, 25-15 in conference action. Molly Owens led the offense with 10 kills and Erin Rustemeyer finished with 26 assists. Alex Berry led the defense with 14 digs.

In its second match of the day, Westminster dropped a 25-22, 25-9, 25-19 non-conference match to Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology. Rustemeyer finished with seven kills and 14 assists, while Lisa Priaulx and Berry finished with 13 digs each.

Westminster (Mo.) Senior Breaks Blue Jay Career Dig Record

Westminster College senior volleyball libero Shanna Crafts has broken the Blue Jay career record for digs. Crafts (St. Peters, Mo./Francis Howell Central) surpassed the previous mark of 1,408 held by Abbi Fischer (1998-2001) during Saturday's match against Fontbonne University in St. Louis. Crafts now has recorded 1,417 digs in 265 career sets.

Crafts does not restrict her success to the volleyball court. She is a Dean’s List student and a member of Chi Alpha Sigma, the National College Athlete Honor Society. She is Grand Marshal of The Skulls of Seven, a mystical society dedicated to upholding the traditions and ideals of Westminster College, and is a four-year captain of the volleyball team. An academic all-conference in each of her first three seasons, Crafts earned honorable mention all-league honors as a sophomore.

The record was bittersweet. Westminster (4-8, 0-3 SLIAC) dropped two conference matches Saturday. In the opener, Crafts recorded 15 digs, but Principia College downed the Blue Jays 25-14, 25-16, 25-13. In the record-setting match, Crafts tallied 22 digs, however host Fontbonne prevailed 25-14, 22-25, 25-21, 25-17.

The Crafts Record
Year  Sets   Digs
2006    81    371
2007    83    525
2008    86    431
2009    15     90
Total  265   1,417

Westminster Wins Home Opener, Crafts Nears Career Record

The Westminster College volleyball squad captured its home opener with a 25-20, 25-20, 18-25, 25-21 victory over Ozark Christian College Monday afternoon in Fulton.

The Blue Jays (4-6) snapped a two-match losing streak with the win and have now equaled last year’s win total. Freshman Molly Owens (Overland Park, Mo./Blue Valley West) and junior Meredith Gibbons (Kirkwood, Mo./Kirkwood) paced the offense with 11 kills each. Junior setter Erin Rustemeyer (Jefferson City, Mo./Jefferson City) finished with 30 assists and three service aces.

Senior Shanna Crafts (St. Peters, Mo./Francis Howell Central) recorded a team-high 29 digs. Crafts has now recorded 1,380 digs in her career and is 28 shy of the school record of 1,408 held by Abbi Fischer (1998-2001).

Blue Jay Freshmen Earn All-Tournament Recognition

Westminster College freshmen Alex Berry (St. Louis, Mo./Kirkwood) and Molly Owens (Overland Park, Mo./Blue Valley West) were both named to the Illinois College Volleyball Invitational All-Tournament Team, as voted on by participating head coaches after the completion of Sunday’s action.

Berry and Owens helped the Blue Jays compile a 3-2 record in the event. Berry averaged 2.5 kills and 4.4 digs a set while Owens averaged 1.95 kills and 3.95 digs a set during tournament play.

Westminster Freshmen Play Key Roles In Weekend Wins

Freshman Alex Berry (St. Louis, Mo./Kirkwood) and freshman Molly Owens (Overland Park, Mo./Blue Valley West) came up big in helping the Westminster College volleyball squad go 3-2 at the Illinois College Invitational Tournament this past weekend in Jacksonville, Illinois.

The Blue Jays (3-4) opened tournament play Friday with a come-from-behind 21-25, 19-25, 25-21, 25-8, 15-13 victory over Knox College. Owens tallied 14 kills and Berry contributed 19 digs while junior Erin Rustemeyer (Jefferson City, Mo./Jefferson City) finished with 33 assists in Westminster’s first win of the season. In Friday’s nightcap, Berry finished with 10 kills and 21 digs, but Westminster fell to the University of Dubuque 25-10, 19-25, 25-15, 25-17.

Host Illinois College handed Westminster a 17-25, 25-20, 25-23, 28-26 defeat to start play Saturday, in which Berry led the Blue Jays with 12 kills and Owens recorded 21 digs. But, Westminster overcame the loss and finished the day with a pair of victories. Berry recorded 10 kills and 21 digs, and Rustemeyer finished with 26 assists in a 25-18, 15-25, 25-20, 26-24 win over Bethany Lutheran College. Westminster defeated Grinnell College in the finale, 25-18, 26-24, 25-19, behind Berry’s nine kills and 13 digs.

Tournament Results:
Westminster def. Knox 21-25, 19-25, 25-21, 25-8, 15-13
Dubuque def. Westminster 25-10, 19-25, 25-15, 25-17
Illinois College def. 17-25, 25-20, 25-23, 28-26
Westminster def. Bethany Lutheran 25-18, 15-25, 25-20, 26-24
Westminster def. Grinnell 25-18, 26-24, 25-19

Four Join Westminster College (Mo.) Coaching Staff

Fulton, Mo. - Four individuals have recently joined the Westminster College coaching staff in a variety of sports and capacities.

Dave Dyson has joined the staff as men’s golf coach and assistant men’s basketball coach. Dyson was a multi-sport high school athlete in Nebraska. He graduated from the University Nebraska in 2000 with a degree in elementary education, and taught and coached in the Lincoln School district for over six years. He is engaged to Jen Simeck, Westminster head women’s soccer coach.

Ashley Hamblin has been named assistant women’s soccer coach. Hamblin graduated from the University of Missouri where she completed a four-year playing career on the 2008 Big 12 tournament champions. She is currently in graduate school at MU.

Reed Cooper has joined the men’s soccer staff as an assistant coach. Cooper, who graduated from the University of West Virginia in 2008 and played on three NCAA tournament teams, lives in St. Louis. He will be involved in recruiting and training.

Liz Jansen, a 2009 graduate of Westminster, in an assistant volleyball coach. Jansen was a four-time academic all-conference pick during her four-year playing career and a member of Chi Alpha Sigma, the National College Athlete Honor Society.

Volleyball One Of Six Blue Jay Teams To Open This Week

Six Westminster College athletics teams open their fall seasons this week. Sport schedules are available on the web and a composite athletics department schedule is also available in calendar form.

This Week's Blue Jay Action:
Tues., Sept. 1, Men's and Women X-Country at Webster Dual,
   Troy, Mo. (Cuivre River State Park), 5:00
Tues., Sept. 1, Women's Soccer vs. William Jewell, Home, 5:00
Tues., Sept. 1, Men's Soccer vs. William Jewell, Home, 7:00
Wed., Sept. 2, Volleyball at William Woods, Fulton, Mo.
   vs. Central Methodist, 6:00
   at William Woods, 8:00
Fri., Sept. 4, Volleyball at Illinois College Classic, Jacksonville, Ill., 5:00
Sat., Sept. 5, Volleyball at Illinois College Classic, Jacksonville, Ill., 8:00
Sat., Sept. 5, Football at Rhodes, Memphis, Tenn., 1:00

Three Named Captains For 2009 Volleyball Blue Jays

Senior Shanna Crafts, and sophomores Kathryn Leetch and Lisa Priaulx, have been named captains of the Westminster College volleyball team for the 2009 season.

2009 Westminster College (Mo.) Volleyball Captains:
 2-Shanna Crafts, 5-7, Sr., Li, St. Peters, Mo./Francis Howell Central
 6-Kathryn Leetch, 5-8, So., OH/S, St. Peters, Mo./Fort Zumwalt West
14-Lisa Priaulx, 5-9, So., OH/MH, St. Peters, Mo./Francis Howell C.

Blue Jays Seventh In SLIAC Pre-Season Volleyball Poll

Westminster College is picked seventh in the 2009 St. Louis Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Pre-Season Volleyball poll, according to a vote of conference coaches. Defending league and tournament champion Webster University is picked first followed by, 2. Spalding, 3. Greenville, 4. Principia, 5. Fontbonne, 6. Eureka, 7. Westminster (Mo.), 8. Blackburn, and 9. MacMurray (Click For More).

2009 Westminster Fall Camps Open In Middle Of August

The Westminster College football, soccer and volleyball seasons get underway in the middle of August when players report for fall camp.

Blue Jay football players are the first to arrive on campus on Wednesday, August 12. The members of the men’s and women’s soccer squads, and the volleyball players, report on Tuesday, August 18. Players should contact each head coach for more information.