AUSTIN, Texas – St. Edward's volleyball opened its weekend with a 3-1 record, finishing as the runner-up in the Hilltopper Classic after splitting Saturday's two matches. The Hilltoppers won their first three games of the season before falling to Illinois-Springfield in three sets in the weekend's final game. 
 
Game 1: St. Edward's 3, Purdue Northwest 0
 
MIA CLAY increased her scoring output in each of the first three games, leading St. Edward's with 20 kills on a .372 hitting percentage for the three-set win. 
 
St. Edward's wasn't as efficient in puncturing The Pride's defense as the Hilltopper attack was on the first day of the Classic but leaned on its defense in the early going. Libero BRENNA HEFFRON recorded 17 receptions and a team-high 15 digs in a match where long rallies turned into a battle of attrition. 
 
In the first set, St. Edward's held court enough for Purdue Northwest to defeat itself, committing eight errors while Clay recorded six kills in the Hilltoppers' 25-23 win. 
 
Clay continued to put the ball down anywhere she wanted in the second set, overpowering Purdue Northwest with nine kills on a .421 hitting percentage in the set. 
 
KELLI FORDING came to life in the third and final set, posting four of her nine kills to supplement Clay's five kills. Setter ALTHEA MORRIS found balance, setting up Neille for three kills and mixing in CORA YOUNG up the middle for three kills on three attacks. 
 
Morris led the Hilltoppers with 33 assists and also contributed 11 digs. Fording recorded three aces. St. Edward's hit .233. 
 
Game 1: Illinois-Springfield 3, St. Edward's 0
 
St. Edward's found its rhythm in the third set, which was too long against an Illinois-Springfield team clicking on all cylinders throughout the Hilltopper Classic. 
 
LANDRY BAUGHMAN led St. Edward's with 15 kills and 11 digs on a solid .268 hitting percentage, but the rest of the Hilltopper attack fell flat facing the pressure of a Pairie Stars attack that kept every team on its heels throughout the tournament. 
 
Makenna Cox and Baughman went head-to-head with six kills each in the first set, but St. Edward's had its least efficient set at .081 to fall 25-16. 
 
St. Edward's committed eight attack errors in the second set, even as it distributed its attack a little more evenly. 
 
Baughman hit .308 with five kills and the front row found its footing with three blocks as St. Edward's posted a higher hitting percentage for the first time in the match. The set went into extra points, but Anna Laincz and Cox closed it otu with back-to-back kills. 
 
ALTHEA MORRIS and MIA CLAY made the Hilltopper Classic All-Tournament Team. Morris totaled 146 assists through 13 sets played with 40 digs, leading the team in both categories while orchestrating an attack that hit .267 for the weekend. Clay led the team with 48 kills on a .333 hitting percentage over the weekend. 
 
St. Edward's will travel to Florida next weekend to participate in the Saint Leo Tournament with two games each on Friday and Saturday.