SAINT PETER, Minn. – After failing to make the NCAA Division III tournament last season, the Gustavus volleyball team earned an at-large bid this season and will start their NCAA tournament run with a matchup today against the Edgewood University Eagles, on the campus of UW-Oshkosh. The match is set for 4:30 p.m. central.
The Gusties (23-7, 9-2 MIAC) come into the match after losing to Saint Benedict in the MIAC semifinal match, 2-3. As for Edgewood (25-6, 13-0 NACC), they marched through the NACC tournament only dropping two sets in three matches. The teams did play against each other earlier this year, on September 12th at the Loras Invitational, when Gustavus won 3-0. The Gusties took each set in dominating fashion, winning 25-20, 25-13, and 25-18.
Logan Brent (So., Ramsey, Minn.),
Sydney Timm (Sr., Lakeville, Minn.), and
Leah Berg (Sr., Kenyon, Minn.) led the way offensively for Gustavus while senior
Maren Sundberg (Eagan, Minn.) brought in 21 digs.
SCOUTING THE EAGLES
In the American Volleyball Coaches Association poll this week, Edgewood received 10 votes. They have not cracked the Top 25 this season, but have floated in the conversation the last two weeks. The Eagles boast a few wins that have brought them national attention, most notably with wins over NCAA Tournament entrants Dubuque and St. Olaf, both in sweeping fashion. The Gusties also defeated Dubuque via sweep but fell to St. Olaf, 3-2, in their only matchup of the season.
As a team, Edgewood prides themselves this season on their blocking ability at the net. The Eagles average 2.56 blocks per set, good for fifth in the country and are third in the country in total blocks with 279.5. What this also means is that Edgewood has kept opponents to a low hitting percentage, ranking 31st in the country and first in the NACC, limiting opponents to a 0.118 hitting percentage. Payton Millin has stood out individually, ranking fifth in the country in total blocks with 128 and ranks 14th in the country with 1.22 blocks per set. Another player that has stood out for the Eagles is senior outside hitter Katie Borchert who was named NACC Player of the Year, First Team All-Region 8, and NACC Tournament MVP. Borchert reached 1,000 career kills and 200 career blocks this season, posting career highs in kills (374), aces (26), and digs (297).
SCOUTING THE GUSTIES
Gustavus has reached as high as 20th in the AVCA rankings this year, finishing the regular season ranked 25th. The Gusties have six wins over teams in the NCAA Division III Tournament this year, including a stretch of four straight matches and four straight wins from September 12 through September 19th over Edgewood, Cornell College, Coe College, and Dubuque.
Statistically, the Gusties match the Eagles in the category of opponent hitting percentage, holding opponents to 0.118. Overall, the Gusties rank 36th in the country and first in the MIAC in digs per set at 17.66 and lead the conference in team service aces. On Wednesday, the AVCA announced their All-Region honorees and the Gusties had two, Berg and Sundberg. Berg led the team in kills in the regular season, averaging just over three per set and bringing in 342 total, contributing over double her kill count from last season. Sundberg has paced the Gusties defensively to earn her third All-Region honor, including last year's Honorable Mention honor. This included 554 digs over 112 sets played, averaging only 0.36 less than her first year when she was an AVCA Honorable Mention All-American. Her 554 digs this season pushed her past 2000 digs and she now sits third in program history in digs, only 48 behind Brittany Luethmers '18 sitting in second place.
BACK IN OSHKOSH
Two years ago, the Gusties also landed in Oshkosh, defeating No. 12 Calvin in the first round in sweeping fashion, before being swept by the hosts who sat at No. 3 in the country at the time. This year, the group of eight who is calling the Kolf Sports Center home includes five teams the Gusties have played earlier this season, combining for a 5-1 record. MIAC foes Saint Benedict dropped their match against Washington University-St. Louis earlier today, 3-0, to leave Gustavus with the only team in the region remaining at the time of posting. The winner of Gustavus' match against Edgewood will run into the winner of UW-Oshkosh and Greenville University tomorrow at 7:00 p.m. before a 5:00 p.m. regional championship match on Saturday.
