CARLINVILLE, Ill. - The Spalding University Golden Eagles women's volleyball team earned a hard-fought, straight-set victory over St. Louis Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SLIAC) rival Eureka College, winning 3-0 (25-23, 29-27, 25-22) at Columbia Gym in Louisville, Kentucky. In a tightly contested match where all three sets were decided by three points or fewer, Spalding showcased clutch execution in high-leverage moments, maintaining a efficient .287 hitting percentage with 44 kills compared to 11 attack errors overall.
Spalding set the tone in the opening frame, edging out a 25-23 win behind strong early offensive flow. The momentum carried into an intense, marathon second set that features multiple extra-point exchanges. Behind setting from
Taimane Alo and consistent net play, the Golden Eagles held off a furious Red Devils charge—led by Eureka's Alena Loesch, who finished with a match-high 19 kills—to take the frame 29-27. Spalding then closed out the sweep in the third set, maintaining a steady attack and key defensive stops to seal the 25-22 victory.
Spalding's attack was driven by high-efficiency play from freshman
Kylie Minnis, alongside key contributions from
Paloma Martinez and
Jobi Smith. While Eureka recorded more total kills (45) and digs (47), 19 attack errors hampered their scoring runs, allowing Spalding to capitalize on high-percentage scoring opportunities and secure the conference sweep on their home floor.
