By Ron Smith
December 5, 2019
 
(SIOUX CITY, Iowa) Westmont Volleyball (28-7) completed pool play at the NAIA National Championships with a three-set sweep over Xavier of Louisiana (31-9). As a result, the Warriors will advance to the 16-team championship bracket.
 
Middle blocker Lexi Malone posted a .583 attack percentage with 16 kills and senior Cassidy Rea hit .435 with 12 kills.
 
"Lexi was unstoppable," said Westmont head coach Ruth McGolpin. "For a freshman middle blocker to do that at this level of competition was remarkable. The setters did a great job of distributing the ball, getting the ball to all three positions."
 
Keelyn Kistner tallied 26 assists for the Warriors while Sydny Dunn added 12 more.
 
Brooklynn Cheney and Lauren Friis led the defensive effort for the Warriors with Cheney tallying 12 digs and Friis 10.
 
"Lauren was all over the floor and set the tone for our defense," said McGolpin. "She also helped us with her serves that kept the other team out of system."
 
Westmont never trailed in the first and second sets and fell behind only once at 2-1 in the third.
 
With the sweep, Westmont emerged as the winner of Pool H. Jamestown (N.D.) and Columbia (Mo.) tied Westmont with 2-1 pool play records. However, the Warriors' sweeps of both Columbia and Xavier gave them the best total match record of 7-3, which was the first tiebreaker.
 
As a result, the Warriors will take on #7 Eastern Oregon (31-4) at 9:00 a.m. CST / 7:00 a.m. PST tomorrow in the round of 16. Eastern Oregon became the second place team out of Pool G after losing in five sets to Lindsey Wilson (Ky.) earlier today.
 
This marks the fourth year in a row the Warriors have advanced out of pool play into the championship bracket.