SAINT PETER, Minn. – The No. 23 nationally ranked Gustavus Adolphus College volleyball team battled the Carleton College Knights at home on Wednesday night in a conference contest. The Gusties earned a 3-0 victory in a sweep of the Knights to improve to 19-5 overall and 5-1 in the MIAC.
Gustavus led 10-7 early in the opening set until a four-point run gave the Knights a 11-10 lead. The Gusties retook the lead and battled to a 14-13 lead before going on a 7-2 run to go up 21-15. Carleton started to climb back into contention, trailing 22-19, but Gustavus won the next two points to reach set point up 24-19. The Knights kept up the fight to win the next three points, but a kill by
Greta Tompkins secured the 25-22 set victory to put the Gusties up 1-0.
Set two opened with a 7-0 run by Gustavus to take momentum right out the gate. Carleton found their footing as the set reached a 16-8 lead for the Gusties, but then a 5-0 run by Gustavus put them up 21-8. The 13-point lead was more than enough to lead to a 25-13 set win, secured by another Tompkins kill, to give the Gusties a 2-0 lead.
The third set reflected the competitive first as the two teams battled back and forth. Carleton led 6-5 early before Gustavus won the next five points to take a 10-6 lead. The Knights retook the lead at 14-13 and led at 18-17 before a 6-1 run put the Gusties back on top up 23-19. Carleton kept fighting but Gustavus secured the set 25-22 on a kill by
Leah Berg to secure the 3-0 sweep.
Tompkins led the Gusties with 12 kills on .240 hitting. Berg followed with 11 kills on .429 hitting.
Sahara Morken orchestrated the Gustavus attack with 27 assists.
Maren Sundberg had a team-high 12 digs and
Ella Olson followed with 10 to lead the Gusties' defense front.
Up next for the Gusties is an away match in Moorhead at the Concordia College Cobbers on Saturday, October 25 at 3:00 p.m.
