GOODWELL, Okla. – On the strength of nine aces, the St. Edward's volleyball team swept Panhandle State, 3-0 Thursday evening. The Hilltoppers defeated the Aggies in straight sets, 25-9, 25-15, 25-19, at the Oscar Williams Field House.
 
St. Edward's (10-14, 8-5 HC) jumped out to an early 1-0 set lead by hitting .579 as a team, compared to -.143 for Panhandle State (4-22, 0-13 HC). The second and third sets also saw the Hilltoppers outhit the Aggies in both as they ran away with the victory.
 
MARY KOEHLER and AMY JONES led the Hilltoppers with 10 kills each, while LOREN KELLY and JACLYN BILLIE combined for 30 assists. Koehler also had 10 digs to notch her eighth double-double of the season and sixth in the last seven contests. Both Koehler and JESSICA MORALES had four aces each and REBECCA SCHNABEL added one ace.
 
The Hilltoppers stay in third place of the Heartland Conference. They are just one game behind second place Dallas Baptist (9-4). They will host the Patriots in the final home match for St. Edward next Saturday.
 
St. Edward's will continue on its three-game road trip with a Saturday afternoon Heartland Conference match versus Newman in Wichita, Kan. Live video and stats will be available on the Jet Athletic Website.