Tim Koth Head Coach | Wayne State University Athletics Website
Tim Koth Head Coach | Wayne State University Athletics Website
The Wayne State University women's volleyball team ended its six-match winning streak after a 3-1 loss to Missouri-St. Louis at the Midwest Region Crossover in Hammond, Indiana. The Warriors, who now have a 14-4 overall record, saw their longest streak since 2021 come to an end. Missouri-St. Louis improved to 16-4 and extended its own winning run to nine matches.
Head coach Tim Koth commented on the team's performance, saying, "Today was a great learning experience for the Warriors. We competed very well and learned how to play in big moments. We will be better next time we have this opportunity."
Both teams performed efficiently on offense with Wayne State hitting .253 and Missouri-St. Louis posting a .273 hitting percentage. The Warriors recorded 59 kills with 21 errors on 150 attacks, while the Tritons finished with 62 kills and 21 errors on an equal number of swings.
Wayne State's strongest set was the first, where they hit .345 with 14 kills and four errors over 29 attempts. Missouri-St. Louis also had its best showing in the opening set, hitting .317 with 18 kills and five errors from 41 attacks.
Three Wayne State players reached double figures in kills: Kayla Giroux led with 19, followed by Paige Giehtbrock with 14 and Katerina Stout with 11. Giroux and Stout were notably efficient offensively, recording hitting percentages of .350 and .421 respectively.
On offense, Kayla Dulgar contributed significantly with 48 assists. Abby Macalaguim and Giehtbrock each tallied one service ace.
Defensively, Kendyl Andrews led the team in digs with 15, while Lauren Essenpreis added ten more. Dulgar (nine), Macalaguim (nine), and Giehtbrock (eight) also made notable contributions defensively.
At the net, Giroux registered six assisted blocks; Leigha Baldwin added five; Dulgar had three; and Stout contributed three as well. Giehtbrock provided Wayne State’s only solo block during the match.
Wayne State will continue its road schedule by traveling to Michigan Tech for a league match on Friday night at Houghton starting at 5 p.m.