The No. 4 Washington University in St. Louis volleyball team posted a 3-1 (25-17, 25-14, 25-27, 25-15) victory over Webster University in the opening round of the 2009 NCAA Division III Volleyball Championship on Thursday, Nov. 12, at the WU Field House in St. Louis, Mo.

With the win, Washington U. improves to 80-14 all-time in NCAA Tournament action, while Webster falls to 0-4 in the NCAA Tournament. The Bears qualified for the NCAA Tournament as an at-large selection out of the University Athletic Association (UAA), while Webster was an automatic qualifier from the St. Louis Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SLIAC) after winning the conference title for a fourth year in a row.

Washington University will face Saint Mary’s University (Minn.) in the Central Region semifinals on Friday, Nov. 13, at the WU Field House in St. Louis, Mo., at 7 p.m. Saint Mary’s, out of the Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (MIAC), is competing in the NCAA Tournament for the second time in school history and the first time since 2000. The Cardinals defeated Thomas More College, 3-1, earlier on Thursday. It will be the first meeting in school history between Washington U. and St. Mary’s.