EAU CLAIRE, Wis. – The Gustavus Adolphus College volleyball team competed in the Blugold Alumni Weekend Invitational on Saturday. The Gusties competed in back-to-back matches against two of the top four teams in the nation: the No. 1 University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh Titans and tournament-hosts No. 4 University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire Blugolds. Gustavus took the opening set from the No. 1 team in the country but fell 3-1 to the Titans and then fell 3-0 to the Blugolds
Match One vs. No. 1 UW-Oshkosh
The Gusties trailed UW-Oshkosh 12-7 in the opening set of their match until catching fire to go on a 13-3 run to take a 20-15 lead over the top-ranked team in the nation. Gustavus went up 23-19 when the Titans started to rally, tying the set up at 23-all. A kill by
Meaghan Kreiser and an ace from
Ava Hahn clinched the set 25-23 for the Gusties as they aimed to upset UW-Oshkosh.
Gustavus led 8-7 early in set two until the Titans won five points in a row to go up 12-8. The Gusties later trailed by just two at 17-15 until UW-Oshkosh went on another 5-0 run to go up 22-15 en route to a 25-18 set win to even the match up at 1-1.
The Titans went up 9-3 early in the third set. The Gusties won the next three points to cut into the lead, but UW-Oshkosh responded with a four-point run to go up 13-6. Gustavus won four of five points midway through the set to pull within five points down 17-12, but the Titans went on to take the set 25-18.
UW-Oshkosh jumped out to a 7-1 lead in the fourth that then grew into a 14-4 lead. The Gusties played even with the Titans for a few points but then a four-point run put UW-Oshkosh up 21-8. The Titans led 23-11 when the Guistes then won three in a row, but UW-Oshkosh closed the door on the set 25-14 to clinch the match 3-1.
Sophia Deyak had nine kills on .333 hitting. Sahra Morken and
Macie Malchow led the setters with 16 and 15 assists respectively.
Ava Hahn led the team with 17 digs.
Match Two vs. No. 4 UW-Eau Claire
In the second match of the day, Gustavus was tailing in the opening set 7-5 when a 4-0 run for the Blugolds put them up 11-5. Eau Claire went on another big run midway through the set, winning five in a row to go up 20-11. The Blugolds took the set 25-16.
In set two, the Gusties fell behind 5-2 very early. Gustavus trailed later in the set but a four-point run gave them an 11-10 lead over the Blugolds. The Gusties led 19-15 until a 5-0 run for Eau Claire gave them a 20-19 lead. The Blugolds went on to take the set 25-23.
Gustavus trailed 11-7 in the third set until catching fire for an 8-0 run to go up 15-11. The Gusties led 21-16 late when a 6-0 for the Blugolds gave them back the lead up 22-21. Down the stretch, the Eau Claire reached match point up 24-23 in the set, but the Gusties fended it off to tie the match at 24-all. The Blugolds won the next two points to take the set 26-24 and the match 3-0.
Sophia Deyak and
Greta Tompkins each had 10 kills for the Gusties.
Sahara Morken's 22 assists were a team high.
Ava Hahn had 16 digs.
Up Next
Gustavus returns to Minnesota to take on Carleton in a MIAC match in Northfield on Wednesday, October 14 at 7:00 p.m.
