ST. PAUL, Minn. – The No. 12 nationally-ranked Gustavus volleyball team opened up competition with the first match of Northwestern-St. Paul's VolleyWOW Weekend, facing UW-Stevens Point in the first of three matches to be played over the weekend. The Gusties fell to the Pointers 3-1 in the match, dropping to 6-3 overall.
Set one set the tone for what proved to be an intense battle, with five tie scores before either team reached 10 points. The momentum took a swing in favor of the Gusties after an impressive rally that ended with a
Sophia Deyak (So., Iowa City Iowa) kill for a 9-7 Gustavus lead. The Gusties continued to make impressive plays, as a series of acrobatic digs from
Maren Sundberg (Jr., Eagan) and a block from Deyak ended an intense rally with the Gusties up by two, 12-10. The Pointers fought back, though, tying the score at 17-17 and closing out the match with a 13-4 run, which featured five kills from UWSP's Ashley Kopp. Stevens Point was able to hold the Gusties to just one kill out of the hands of
Sydney Timm (Jr., Lakeville) during that time, ending the set, 25-19.
The Stevens Point offense continued to roll in set two, taking a quick 3-0 lead, before building the advantage to as many as seven in the set's opening serves. A timeout called by Head Coach
Rachelle Sherden with the Gusties down 11-7 helped the team take a deep breath and rally back into the set, slowly chipping away at the Pointer lead. Stevens Point responded with a five-point run to separate the score at 23-19. Timm stepped up to the challenge, putting the Gusties within one point, 24-23, on a pair of kills and a forced attack error. Following a UWSP timeout, the Pointers were able to take a 2-0 lead in the match with another kill from Kopp to end set two, 25-23.
UWSP carried the same energy into the third set, jumping out with two quick points after the break to force an early Gustie timeout. Despite having not led since early in the first set, the Gusties battled back, routinely tying the score 10 times. A pair of kills from Timm and an ace from Sundberg tied things up at 22-22, with momentum in favor of the Gusties. Stevens Point took a timeout, but it only fueled the Gusties, who ended set three with a 4-1 run send the match to a fourth set.
The Gusties seemed to get their swagger back in the fourth, leading on multiple occasions and totaling 15 kills. Deyak led the charge, tallying four kills of her own to help the Gusties start the set with a five point lead, 11-8. The fourth and final set was a battle to the very end, with the Pointers' Kopp carrying her team to victory on the back of a nine-kill set four performance. UWSP tied the score at 22 and 23, just two of 14 scoreboard deadlocks in the final set. Serves proved to be the downfall of the Gusties, though, as a service error and subsequent Pointer ace ended the match with a 25-23 UWSP set four victory.
Three Gusties tallied double-digit kills to lead the offense.
Lauren Klaith (5th, Rockford) totaled 17, followed by Timm with 13, and Deyak with 10. Timm completed the double-double with 12 digs, and was one of four Gusties with more than 10. Sundberg led the defense with 26, followed by 16 for
Olivia Stockham (Jr., Big Lake).
Kasie Tweet (5th, Adrian) added her fifth double-double of the season with 12 digs and 39 assists.
As a team, Gustavus posted a .191 attacking percentage. The Gusties added seven total blocks, but struggled on the serve, with 11 service errors and six errors on the reception. Stevens Point hit .211 as a team and won the defensive battle thanks to Tessa Erlandson, who had a match-high 30 digs.
The Gusties, now 6-3 overall, have a tall order ahead of them Saturday, facing No. 5 Emory and host No. 13 Northwestern-St. Paul to wrap up the weekend tournament.
