Joplin, Mo. – The SBU women's volleyball team continued their strong start to the 2026 season Saturday, sweeping both Northeastern State and Missouri Southern to finish opening weekend with a perfect 4-0 record.
The Bearcats opened the day with a dominant 3-0 victory over Northeastern State, winning 25-20, 25-17, and 25-19. SBU was efficient throughout the match, hitting .330 as a team while committing only eight attacking errors. The Bearcat defense also held the Riverhawks to a .092 hitting percentage and recorded eight total blocks.
Aubrie Fellmeth and
Essence Gilmer led a balanced offensive attack with 10 kills apiece, while
Hanna Klein added nine kills on an impressive .750 hitting percentage.
Kiera Dent led the Bearcats at the net with four block assists, while
Gabriela Dupree added three and finished with a team-high 13 digs.
Madison Garza and
Allie Hawk combined for 31 assists in the victory.
SBU carried that momentum into the final match of the weekend against host Missouri Southern, earning another straight-set victory, 25-17, 25-17, and 25-21. The Bearcats hit .314 in the match while holding the Lions to .151 and finished with a 43-36 advantage in kills and 6-2 advantage in blocks.
Gabriela Dupree and
Julia Marinesi led the offense with 13 kills apiece. Marinesi hit .393 in the match, while Dupree added 10 digs and two service aces for a double-double.
Megan Howard added an efficient five kills on eight attempts, hitting .625.
Danika Mejico led SBU with 18 assists, while Hawk added 14.
Melissa Patel paced the defensive effort with 11 digs, and
Kailey Sexton recorded four block assists.
The Bearcats move to a 4-0 overall record for the first time since 2021. They will look to improve that record to 5-0 for the first time in over 20 years, this upcoming weekend as they host the annual Bearcat invite. That will start on Friday, September 4
th at 3 p.m. when they host Christian Brothers University.
