SPRINGFIELD, Ohio - The Elmhurst volleyball team, ranked 22nd in the latest AVCA poll, moved to 6-3 on the season after splitting a pair of matches against Top-25 opponents at the Witternberg University Invitational.

Elmhurst opened the day with a four-set loss to the defending national champ and top-ranked, Cal Lutheran. The Bluejays wrapped up the day with a three-set sweep of #19 Washington in St. Louis. 

CAL LUTHERAN 3, ELMHURST 1- The Bluejays hang right with the top-ranked team in the nation, before falling in four sets 15-25, 25-17, 20-25, 24-26.

Cal. Lutheran (10-0) raced out to an early one-set lead by taking the opening set by 10 points. Elmhurst answered back in the second as the Bluejays never trailed in the set. Leading by just a point at 15-14, Elmhurst closed the set with a 10-3 run to even the match at a set apiece. 

The fourth set was even at 15-all before a 10-5 run from Cal Lutheran gave the Regals a 2-1 lead entering the fourth set. Elmhurst opened up a lead late in the fourth set at 19-13. Cal Lutheran sliced the lead in half, pulling to within three points at 23-20. The Regals scored the next four points to surge in front and set up a match point. The Bluejays fought off the first set point before falling 26-24 to drop the set and the match.

Elmhurst hit .206 for the match with 50 kills and 21 errors in 141 attempts. Melissa Nava led the charge for Elmhurst with 13 kills while Mel Lundin totaled 11. Hannah Nimrick tallied 32 assists to go with seven kills and a team-best 21 digs. Amy Schryver added 14 digs while Alli Rogers added eight kllls for the Bluejays. 

Hope Stewart paced Cal Lutheran with 16 kills while Michelle Lawrence added 10. Jamie Smith tallied a team-best 38 assists. 

ELMHURST 3, WASHINGTON 0 - Elmhurst scored its first win of the season against a top-25 opponent by knocking off #19 Washington University in St. Louis 25-21, 32-30, 25-20. 

The Bluejays never trailed in the opening set, leading for much of the duration until Washington pulled even at 19-19. Elmhurst ripped off the next five straight points behind Mary Lawrence's serve to take a 24-19 lead. A kill from Nava gave the Bluejays the set at 25-20.

Elmhurst fought off five set points from the Bears pulling even at 28-28. The Bears stopped a pair of set points from Elmhurst to push the score to 30-all, but kills from Nimrick and Nava gave the Bluejays the set at 32-30. 

The Bluejays built an early lead in the third, taking a 16-10 advantage before Washington ripped off a 10-2 run to pull in front 20-18. Trailing by two, the Bluejays rattled off the next seven straight points to close out the set and the match.

Elmhurst hit .163 for the contest with 40 kills and 19 errors in 129 attempts. Nava powered the Bluejays' attack with 15 kills and two blocks. Nimrick totaled a triple-double, finishing with 10 kills, 10 digs and 25 assists while Rogers added seven kills. Schryver totaled a team-best 17 digs while Ani Agbabian added 10 digs for Elmhurst.

Caroline DuPont led Washington with 12 kills while Shannon Gurley totaled 11. 

Elmhurst wraps up play at the tournament by facing the eighth-ranked host, Wittenberg, tomorrow.