ROLLA, MO- The Miner volleyball team started the 2019 season off with a bang with a 3-0 (25-15, 25-19, 25-19) win over the Warhawks of Auburn Montgomery.

In their first game of the 2019 Miner Invitational, S&T made quite the noise as they jumped out to a 10-3 lead in the opening set.

S&T would get back-to-back kills from Shelby Ply (Rolla, Mo./Rolla) and Payton Gannaway (Lawrence, Kan./Lawrence Free State) late in the set to push their lead out to 19-11 over AUM. Defense would give the Miners the final point of the set when Kiernan O'Boyle (Kansas City, Mo./St. Teresa's Academy) and Abigail Widiker (Hammond, Wis./Saint Croix Central) blocked Auburn Montgomery's Nyah Whittlesey to take the 25-15 win.

AUM and S&T battled for control in the second set, trading points with neither team getting more than a handful of points away from the other.

The Miners would get help with three consecutive kills from Ply and Emilee Schlader (Lewiston, Idaho/Lewiston) to take a commanding 19-12 lead. Two more kills from Gannaway and Widiker and an error from the Warhawks would put S&T up two games.

The third set started out much the same as the second; AUM and S&T kept it close until Schlader and Caroline Dykes (Lawrence, Kan./Lawrence) put down kills late in the set to give the Miners a 23-16 lead. Back-to-back kills from Gannaway and Widiker would put S&T on top and their first win of the season.

Freshman Abigail Widiker (Hammond, Wis./Saint Croix Central) led the team with nine kills and 11 digs while Emilee Schlader (Lewiston, Idaho/Lewiston) was right behind her with seven kills and 13 digs. Sarah Cavanaugh (Highlands Ranch, Colo./Thunder Ridge) and Sarah McGinnis (Middleton, Wis./Edgewood) split time in assists, collecting 11 and 11, respectively.

Three Miner hitters hit above .300 tonight; along with Widiker, Payton Gannaway (Lawrence, Kan./Lawrence Free State) (eight kills) and Kiernan O'Boyle (Kansas City, Mo./St. Teresa's Academy) (seven kills) recorded big numbers in the win.

S&T will continue play in the Miner Invitational tomorrow when they take on the Golden Suns of Arkansas Tech. First serve is scheduled for 3:30 p.m. in Gibson Arena.