Saint Louis Volleyball Completes Reverse Sweep Against Rhode Island

Saint Louis University volleyball overcame a two-set deficit on Thursday evening to defeat Rhode Island 3-2 in Kingston, R.I.

The comeback victory, which took place inside Keaney Gymnasium, moved the Billikens to a 17-11 overall record and 12-5 in Atlantic 10 play, Saint Louis University reported. This performance marks the program’s most conference wins in a single season since 2009.

The match began with Rhode Island asserting early dominance. The Rams jumped to a 6-0 lead in the opening set and eventually extended that advantage to 10-4. While Saint Louis managed a 4-0 run to narrow the gap to 13-11, Rhode Island responded with a 4-1 run to take the first set 25-20.

The momentum initially stayed with the home team during the second set. Saint Louis held a 10-6 lead early on, but Rhode Island responded with four straight points to tie the match at 11-11. Although the Billikens built a 19-16 lead late in the frame, the Rams scored nine of the final 11 points to secure the set 25-21 and a 2-0 match lead.

The tide turned decisively in the third set as Saint Louis utilized aggressive serving to dismantle the Rams’ rhythm. Tamia Maddox delivered four service aces during a 6-0 opening run, helping the Billikens build a commanding 14-3 lead. Saint Louis maintained control through the remainder of the set, recording 11 service aces and hitting .318 to win 25-13.

The fourth set saw a back-and-forth struggle. Rhode Island took a 13-10 lead, but Saint Louis answered with a 3-0 run to tie the score. A 5-0 run later allowed the Billikens to turn a 15-14 deficit into a 19-15 advantage. A block from Kayla Jansen and Anna Boatner eventually secured the set 25-19, forcing a decisive fifth set.

In the final frame, Saint Louis took a 6-3 lead and eventually pushed to a 10-5 advantage. Despite Rhode Island cutting the deficit to two, the Billikens responded with a 4-0 run. This late surge included back-to-back kills from Maddox and a service ace from Ellie Rink, leading to a 15-10 victory and completing the reverse sweep.

Individual performances were central to the Billikens’ ability to stabilize the match after falling behind. Ellie Rink recorded a double-double with 17 kills on a .341 hitting percentage, 10 digs, and three service aces. Jetta Brenning also achieved a double-double, contributing 38 assists and 17 digs.

The team’s defensive presence at the net was a deciding factor in the comeback. Saint Louis tied its season high with 17 total blocks and set a new season high with 14 service aces. The following table breaks down the primary statistical contributors for the Billikens during the match:

Player	Kills	Digs	Aces	Other Notables
Ellie Rink	17	10	3	.341 hitting percentage
Tea Kalajdzic	12	—	4	5 blocks
Anna Boatner	10	—	—	8 blocks
Tamia Maddox	9	11	4	—
Lara Zigic	—	14	3	—
Kayla Jansen	4	—	—	9 blocks (4 solo)

The Billikens are winning more conference games after trailing. By reaching 12 wins in Atlantic 10 play, the program has reached a level of conference success not seen in the nearly two decades since their 2009 campaign.

Saint Louis concludes its regular season on Friday at 11 a.m. CT in a match against Rhode Island.

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