PLATTEVILLE, Wis. – The No. 17 Gustie volleyball team entered its triangular with UW-Platteville and Aurora (Ill.) following two sweeps collected just a few days earlier. Unfortunately for the Gusties, they fell victim to the other end of the same result, dropping two 3-0 decisions to the host Pioneers (14-2, 1-1 WIAC) and the Spartans (8-8, 2-0 NACC).

Gustavus 0, UW-Platteville 3

UW-Plattevile was no easy task for the Gusties Saturday morning, as the Pioneers were coming off a sweep of No. 2 nationally-ranked UW-Oshkosh earlier in the week. Platteville carried that momentum into the first match of the day, winning in straight sets, and holding the Gusties to limited kills through the first two. 

The Pioneers took an early lead in set one, but the Gusties stormed back to tie the score six times before either team reached 10 points, and held a one point lead over the Pioneers four times through the opening serves. The hosts began to pull away at 12-11, separating themselves from the Gusties by four points with four kills and a number of Gustie attack errors. Kiera Petersen (So., Woodbury) brought the team back within three, 19-16, but the Pioneers pulled away once again, winning set one with three consecutive points, two on kills and the final on a service ace, ending set one 25-18.

The Gustie attack struggled in the second set, hitting a clip of 0.086 with just eight kills, while the Pioneers hit .163 with 15. The lead changed only once, and while the Gusties were able to tie the score four times, it wasn't enough to keep pace with Platteville, as it pulled away with a 6-1 run after a tie score at 16-16. Petersen added two late kills in the set, but the Pioneers claimed set two, 25-20. 

The Gusties gave their best fight in the third set, committing just one attack error while adding a pair of service aces and two blocks. While it looked like Platteville was going to run away with the sweep, leading 10-5 early, the Gusties summoned their attack off the energy of Addison Dirkes (Fy., Albert Lea), who delivered the kill that sparked a 12-4 run for the Gusties, evening the score at 15-15, and eventually taking the lead, 17-15, thanks to kills by fellow first-years Macie Malchow (Sioux Falls, S.D.) and Logan Brent (Ramsey). The score found its way to a tie seven more times before the end of the match, but Platteville closed things out with back-to-back kills to sweep the No. 17 Gusties, 25-23. 

Eight different Gusties totaled a kill, with Sophia Deyak (So., Iowa City, Iowa) leading the squad with seven. Kasie Tweet (5th, Adrian) chipped in 23 assists and eight digs, while Maren Sundberg (Jr., Eagan) led the back line with 13 digs of her own. 

Gustavus 0, Aurora 3

The Gusties' second match of the day was an up-and-down battle, with the Spartans dominating set one, 25-16, leading to a marathon 27-25 set two. Aurora claimed set three, 25-22, to send the Gusties home in three Saturday afternoon. 

After a few runs for both teams, Aurora pulled away from teh Gusties midway through the first set, 12-10, capitalizing on a pair of Gustie attack errors and registering a kill of their own. The Gusties struggled to catch up, as the Spartans went on a 13-6 run to close things out, getting five kills and taking advantage of the Gustie attack errors to win set one, 25-16.

Set two told the tale of a much different story, as the score was tied 18 times between the two teams, with five lead changes throughout the set. Lauren Klaith (5th, Rockford) collected six kills to lead the offense during the set, with the Gusties and Spartans going one-for-one on each exchange. Following a combined 11 back-and-forth kills from both teams, a Gustie attack error ended set two, 27-25.

Aurora took an early 7-3 lead in set three, and the Gusties were unable to recover, as the Spartans dealt them their second consecutive 3-0 result. Leah Berg (Jr., Kenyon) collected six kills on seven attacks for an impressive .857 attacking percentage, but it was too little, too late, as the Spartans took advantage of four service errors and delivered 13 kills of their own to win set three, 25-22. 

Klaith finished match two with 10 kills and a pair of service aces, followed by Sydney Timm (Jr., Lakeville), Deyak, and Berg with seven kills each. Tweet posted 23 assists, while Malchow added 11. A total of 11 Gusties collected a dig, with Sundberg leading the team with 11. 

The Gusties (9-9, 2-0 MIAC) will take the full week to regroup, heading to Macalester (9-7, 1-0 MIAC) next Saturday to continue conference play. 


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