DUBUQUE, Iowa -- The Westminster College volleyball team traveled to Dubuque, Iowa, for the weekend to compete in the 2023 Lora College Invitational.
The Blue Jays started the tournament by defeating St. Scholastica 3-0 in Game 1.
In Game 2, the Jays lost straight sets to the University of Dubuque to cap off Friday.
Westminster faced Central College in Game 3 Saturday morning, and it battled to a fifth set, with the Dutch able to secure the 3-2 victory.
The Blue Jays ended the tournament in a 3-1 loss to Coe College.
Game 1
The Blue Jays came out red hot in Game 1, winning three straight sets, 25-19, 25-23 and 25-18.
Malena Bixby led Westminster's attack with 15 kills in the match.
Kylie Hasselbacher had double-digit kills with 10 for the Blue Jays.
Bixby recorded a double-double by also having 10 digs in the game.
Westminster libero Kirsten Schrader picked up 17 digs.
Setters Braylee Montgomery and Caitlyn Wheadon combined for 35 assists in the match for the Blue Jays.
Game 2
Westminster didn't have much time to celebrate its victory as it was back on the court against the University of Dubuque in its home gym, co-hosting the weekend tournament.
The two teams went back and forth in set one, with the Spartans pulling away winning the set 25-22.
Set two was also a close one, but Dubuque won it 25-21 and then ran away with the third set 25-16 to sweep the Blue Jays.
Hasselbacher led the Blue Jays offense with 15 kills.
Game 3
The Blue Jays started Day 2 with a five-set barnburner against the Central College Dutch.
The Dutch dominated the first set 25-10.
The Blue Jays flipped the script in the second set, winning 25-12.
Westminster kept its momentum, winning the third set 25-22.
The Dutch squeaked out set four, 25-23, and forced a fifth set.
Central got an early lead to start the fifth set and held the Blue Jays at arm's length to win the set 15-10 and the match 3-2.
Bixby had 15 kills and 13 digs; Hasselbacher had 12 kills, and Meghan Nolte had 10 kills.
Montgomery was credited with 42 assists.
Game 4
After a short break, Westminster took on Coe College to cap off the Loras Invitational.
The Kohwaks won set one 25-17.
The Blue Jays came back to win the second set 25-21.
Coe won the following two sets, 25-18 and 25-13, to win the match 3-1 in four sets.
The Jays had three hitters with double-digit kills.
Bixby led the way with 16 kills. She also had 12 digs.
Hasselbacher had 12 kills in the match, and Nolte put down 10 kills.
Schrader had 20 digs in the match.
Montgomery had 43 assists.
The Blue Jays will be back in action as they end their nonconference schedule at Belhaven on Thursday with a 7 p.m. start time.