SAINT PETER, Minn. – No. 25 Gustavus volleyball wrapped up the 2024 Gustavus Homecoming celebration Saturday with a thrilling win on Gus Young Court. The Gusties swept the Pipers for their fifth conference win – and fifth conference sweep – improving to 12-9 overall and 5-0 in the MIAC.
Hamline (8-12, 1-4 MIAC) gave the nationally-ranked Gusties its very best, leading in each match a number of times, and stifling some of the hard-hitting Gustie offense with acrobatic digs, but it wasn't enough, as the home team powered through wins of 25-19, 25-23, and 28-26 to earn the sweep.
The Pipers started each of the three sets with the advantage, including a 5-2 run after the first serve in set one. The Gusties were forced to play catch-up, getting a trio of kills from different players to tie the score at six apiece. From there, the match saw a total of seven tie scores and five lead changes, as each team delivered a few three-point runs. A
Kasie Tweet (5th, Adrian) set-over kill and a Piper attack error gave the Gusties the lead for good at 19-18, setting up a 7-1 run to end the set in favor of the Gusties, 25-19.
The Pipers and the Gusties exchanged points through the entirety of set two, combining for 11 tie scores but just three lead changes. Hamline took the lead from the first serve, getting four kills to the Gusties' one for a 4-2 lead. The Gusties tied the score at 4-4 thanks to
Sydney Timm (Jr., Lakeville), but Hamline continued to fire back, keeping pace with the Gusties through each point. Neither team took more than a two-point lead until the combined offense of
Sophia Deyak (So., Iowa City, Iowa) and
Lauren Klaith (5th, Rockford) gave the Gusties a three-point lead, 20-17. A Piper timeout helped the visitors regroup, but the Gustie lead held thanks to Klaith, who collected four kills in the Gusties' final six points of the set, edging the Pipers 25-23.
The third and final set was another Gus Young Court classic, as the two teams treated Homecoming fans and alumni to a 28-26 thriller, with a number of impressive kills and unconventional points. The Pipers jumped out to an 8-5 lead thanks to three kills, a service ace, and three Gustie attack errors. The Gusties systematically chipped away at the lead, tying the score at 9-9. Hamline, determined to send the match to four, reclaimed the advantage, 15-13, but a Gustie run of 6-1 changed shifted the momentum back in favor of the Black & Gold. Gustavus took a four point lead thanks large in part to the efforts of Deyak, but the Pipers did not quit, storming back into the set to tie things up at 22-22. A Gustie attack error pushed the lead in favor of the visitors, 23-22, forcing a Gustie timeout.
Immediately out of the break, Klaith delivered a monster kill to even things up, 23-23. The Pipers got two more chances at set point, each time off a kill, but Timm and a costly Piper error swayed the advantage back to the Gusties, 26-25. An error from Deyak brought Hamline back into the set, but the sophomore made up for it on the next play, collecting a kill for a 27-26 advantage.
Leah Berg (Jr., Kenyon) delivered the final blow, a kill to end the set and the match, 28-26.
The Gustie offense was led by the efforts of Klaith and Deyak, each with more than 10 kills for the second match in a row. Klaith totaled 14, followed by Deyak with 12. Deyak also accounted for four of the Gusties' five blocks, while Tweet collected 36 assists.
Maren Sundberg (Jr., Eagan) led the defense with 20 digs.
Gustavus hits the road Wednesday before hosting three in a row, making the trek to Moorhead to face Concordia (2-17, 2-3 MIAC).
