The Westminster Blue Jays opened their postseason Saturday with a 25-16, 25-23, 25-20 win against the Iowa Wesleyan Tigers in the first round of the St. Louis Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Tournament at Westminster Gym.
Westminster went a 7-0 run in the first set, getting three kills from Eryke Wanyonyi during that stretch. In the second set, the Blue Jays used a 5-0 run to overcome a 16-15 deficit, leading the rest of the way for a two-set lead.
Westminster started the third set with five straight points, with Wanyonyi accounting for four service points. Iowa Wesleyan used a 5-0 run to close the gap to 20-16, but the Blue Jays closed out the set for the win.
Haley Menke led Westminster with 12 kills, while Gretchen Durbala posted 27 assists. Erica Schrader had 14 digs and Menke finished with three total blocks.
Iowa Wesleyan (1-14, 1-14 SLIAC), the No. 7 seed in the tournament, will wrap up its season Tuesday in a consolation match at No. 6 Blackburn.
Westminster (12-2, 12-2 SLIAC), the No. 2 seed, will host third-seeded Webster in the tournament semifinals Wednesday. Game time is still to be determined.