CLINTON, Iowa - Ashford University's volleyball senior class made their final stand in Kehl Arena a memorable one.

Appropriately on their night, a trio of seniors helped lead the charge to Ashford's (21-16, 4-3 MCC) impressive Midwest Collegiate Conference straight-set win over Mt. Mercy College (17-17, 2-5 MCC) on Tuesday evening, 3-0 (25-20, 25-17, 25-17).

Breelyn McMahon of Princeton, Ill., Lisa LaMasse of Hanover Park, Ill., and Rachel Caulkins of Elmwood, Ill., were all honored for Senior Night in a pre-game ceremony at center court with friends and family in attendance.

The script couldn't have been written any better against the Mustangs as McMahon, AU's lone four-year senior, recorded the game's final kill with LaMasse (transfer from Harper College) and Caulkins (transfer from Illinois Central Community College) combining for seven kills.

All three were in the starting lineup and the Saints' offense was operating with precision, minimizing mistakes and capitalizing on 92 attack attempts (40 kills) for a .293 hitting percentage.

"It's hard to believe that four years have gone by just like that," McMahon said afterwards. "It was really rewarding to get the final kill and contribute to a good team win. That's what you work for in your career."

The Saints came out strong in the first set, building a seven-point lead (19-11) after getting rare back-to-back kills from freshman setter Liz Gbur of Darien, Ill., and junior defensive specialist Heather McCue of Rock Falls, Ill.

Momentum continued to build in the second set for Ashford when McMahon and Caulkins combined to stuff Hope Baumgartner at the net for a 23-16 advantage. LaMasse and Caulkins proceeded to block Jena Blint on the ensuing play to all but seal the second frame.

"I was real pleased at how focused the girls were tonight and how they controlled the tempo of the game," AU Head Coach Micah Cewe said. "I'm very proud of the seniors for stepping up on their night and not losing focus.

Seniors again set the tone in the third set as LaMasse helped AU to its largest lead of the evening with a kill that gave the Saints an 18-10 lead. Caulkins followed with a kill a few plays later and McMahon spiked down the final kill.

Gbur handed out 33 assists, tying her second-best total this year. Freshman outside hitter Sarah Wenzel of Clinton came through again in a big way with a game-high 13 kills. Junior middle hitter Kelsay McCausland of Camanche had six kills despite sitting out the first set.

Mt. Mercy freshman hitter Brittney Thomas paced the Mustangs offense with 11 kills.

"It's nice to get those three or four-point cushions because there's a little margin to make a mistake," Cewe said. "It was just one of those nights I couldn't really remember a time where we were behind."

Ashford closes out the regular season Nov. 2 against Clarke College in Dubuque. First serve is slated for 7 p.m.