ST. LOUIS, Mo. – At the Carl & Deloris Petty Sports and Recreation Complex, the Lindsey Wilson volleyball team began, undoubtedly, its most challenging stretch of the matches this season will see, facing off against back-to-back top five-ranked opponents in Midland University and Missouri Baptist University.

Match One: Lindsey Wilson 0, No. 5 Midland 3 (9-25, 18-25, 19-25)

The fifth-ranked Warriors came out of the gate strong against the Blue Raiders, posting a dominating first-set victory en route to a three-set sweep.

A 4-0 start for Midland got them off on the right foot in the opening frame, and from there the team from Nebraska never looked back as they forced seven Lindsey Wilson attack errors while turning in a mark of 0.364 themselves.

The locals showed improvement into the middle frame but never secured their first lead of the match until the initial stages of the following set, in which the Raiders and the Warriors traded one-point leads before the latter of the two eventually pulled away with an 8-2 run to close out.

For the second consecutive match, Aleksandra Wyrzkowska paced the Lindsey Wilson offense on the attack, recording six kills.

Match Two: Lindsey Wilson 0, No. 1 Missouri Baptist 3, (15-25, 18-25, 16-25)

Against the NAIA's number one-ranked program, the Blue Raiders showed moments of solid tenacity, but in the end, it was the relentless attack of the Spartans that won the day.

Nevertheless, the locals held strong throughout the early moments of each set, including a pair of two-point leads in the first frame behind the likes of Wyzrkowska, Savanah Pippin, and Natalie Ackermann.

Despite keeping things close in the early goings, Missouri Baptist always found a way to turn the tables in its favor, finishing the afternoon with 51 total kills and a 0.339 hitting percentage.

As for the Blue Raiders, Alexis Smith stepped up with seven kills to help progress the team's overall attack percentage from the previous match.

All told, Wyrzkowska, Smith, and Alix Stoermer each ended the day with double-digits in kills to lead the locals in scoring.

Camryn Rich finished with a team-leading 35 assists on the day, and Embry Burgess' 22 total digs paced the Blue Raiders' back line.

Lindsey Wilson faces a quick turnaround as Viterbo University awaits on Friday morning at 10 a.m. CST right back at the Carl & Deloris Petty Sports and Recreation Complex.