ST. LOUIS – Trinity Luckett posted a blistering .471 attack percentage to go with a match-high eight blocks to lead Saint Louis to a 3-0 victory over Army West Point Thursday night on day one of the Billiken Invitational.
 
Luckett and Delaney Rice tied for match-high honors with 10 kills apiece. Addy Brus had eight kills, while Tea Kalajdzic collected six kills and hit .375 (6-0-16).
 
Rice, Kayla Jansen and Abby Lynn enjoyed big nights at the net with six, four and three blocks, respectively, as the Billikens out-blocked the Black Knights 13-2. Carlie Rodgers registered a match-high 17 digs and Lynn added nine to go with 27 assists.
 
SLU held Army to a .055 attack percentage.
 
Saint Louis def. Army West Point 25-16, 25-18, 25-21
Set 1 – Saint Louis took the lead for good at 2-1 and used a 7-2 run to go on top 7-3. Army closed the gap to a single point three times before SLU began to gradually pull away. A 4-0 spurt gave the Billikens a 15-10 lead, and the Black Knights drew no closer than four the rest of the way.
 
Set 2 – Trailing 10-9, Saint Louis scored the next point to create the eighth tie of the set. That sparked an 8-0 flurry that put the Bills in firm command, and the lead stayed at six points or higher throughout the remainder of the set.
 
Set 3 – There were 10 ties in what proved to be the final frame, the last a 14-14 deadlock. The Billikens created some breathing room with three straight points, then scored both times Army whittled the lead to one to keep the Black Knights at bay.
 
The Billiken Invitational continues with three matches on Friday. Illinois State and Xavier square off at 11 a.m., Illinois State faces Army at 4 p.m., and Saint Louis takes on Xavier at 7 p.m.