MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. – The Gustavus volleyball team returned from its opening trip to Colorado with three victories, broken records, and a new national ranking. And the No. 10 Gusties picked up right where they left off Friday afternoon, dealing Wartburg a 3-1 defeat to begin the Augsburg Invitational.
Wartburg got the first point of set one, but it was all Black & Gold from there, as the Gusties used a 13-4 run to take an early lead. Three kills from
Kiera Petersen (So., Woodbury) in that time set the team up for success, as the Gusties never trailed through set one. A small swing of momentum helped the Knights battle back within single digits of the Gusties, using a pair of kills and a Gustie attack error to cut the lead to six, but a
Sophia Deyak (So., Iowa City, Iowa) kill put Gustavus back in the driver's seat. Gustavus took set one, 25-13, putting together a 10-4 run to take a 1-0 lead in the match.
The Knights flipped the script in set two, taking an early 7-2 lead off of five Gustie attack errors. MIAC Offensive Player of the Week
Lauren Klaith (5th, Rockford) turned the tables back in favor of the Gusties, delivering a much needed kill that sparked a 7-1 Gustavus run. Kills from
Sydney Timm (Jr., Lakeville) and
Marlee Turn (5th, Kennedy) put the lead back in favor of the Gusties, 9-8, forcing a Wartburg timeout.
The Knights continued to battle after the break, with six tie scores and four lead changes, but Timm once again put them in their place, connecting for her ninth kill of the match to put the Gusties up 17-16. Late in the set, the Gusties struggled to string together an efficient attack, allowing Wartburg to regain the lead after a 5-1 run. A timeout gave Head Coach
Rachelle Sherden's team some breathing room, as the Gusties returned with five kills, including three from Klaith, to even the score at 23 apiece.
Macie Malchow (Fy., Sioux Falls, S.D.) added a service ace, but an error on her next serve and a quick kill from the Knights put them within one of set point. A ball handling error ended set two in favor of Wartburg, 26-24.
Set three started as a back-and-forth battle, with both teams exchanging kills for five tie scores before either reached double digits. Malchow on the serve proved to be the difference maker, as the first-year delivered a pair of aces to put the Gusties up by three, 10-7. Wartburg brought the lead to one point four times, but a block from Deyak and subsequent kill from Timm helped the Gusties regain the separation they needed to take set three, 25-16. A 6-0 run drove the victory home, getting a pair of kills from Klaith to put the Gusties up 2-1 in the match.
Wartburg was determined to force a fifth set, overcoming the Gusties' early momentum to jump out to a 7-3 lead in set four. Gustavus slowly chipped it away, though, once again on the serve of Malchow. A trio of kills from
Kiera Petersen and an ace from the first-year flipped the momentum in favor of the Gusties, who took the lead on a Knight attack error, 13-12. Two more errors and a kill from Petersen gave the Gusties a much needed three point lead, 16-13. The teams then exchanged points for the next 11, before the Gusties claimed the match on a Wartburg service error.
Lauren Klaith continued to lead the Gustie offensive charge, totaling 19 kills with a .326 attacking percentage. Timm added 14, while
Marlee Turn chipped in nine. Turn also added 18 digs on the defensive end, while
Maren Sundberg (Jr., Eagan) totaled 22 to lead the team.
Kasie Tweet added another double-double to her season, combining for 46 assists and 14 digs in the victory.
Macie Malchow was one ace away from matching her season-high, totaling four against the Knights.
The Gusties, now 4-1 overall, return to the Augsburg Invitational tomorrow morning, facing Nebraska Wesleyan at 10 a.m. and UW-Eau Claire at noon.
