ST. PETER, Minn. – The Gustavus volleyball team returns to Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference play tonight at St. Olaf. The Gusties enter the match with a 10-2 overall record and 1-0 mark in the MIAC, while the Oles are 7-7 overall and 0-1 in the league. Tonight’s match begins at 7 p.m. and will be broadcast online via the St. Olaf live streaming portal.
The Gusties, who received votes in the latest AVCA Division III poll and are one spot out of the top 25, are riding a six-match win streak, most recently winning a pair of games at the UW-Eau Claire Tournament last Saturday. Gustavus shut out Lakeland and then defeated Dominican in four sets. After 12 matches this season, the Gusties lead the MIAC on the attack with a .231 hitting percentage. Nora Holtan (So., Rochester, Minn.) ranks second in the league with 9.20 assists per set and was recently voted MIAC Setter of the Week for the second straight time. Lauren Hanson (So. Redwood Falls, Minn.) leads the team by averaging 2.98 kills per set. Brittany Luethmers (So. Prior Lake, Minn.) is a staple of the back line with 199 digs and 3.98 per set.
Megan Grimes leads the Oles attack with 152 kills, averaging 3.04 pet set. Renata Erickson is the team’s primary setter with 383 assists (7.66 per set), while Abby Slack is the defensive leader with 241 digs (4.82 per set). The Oles are currently on a four-match losing streak, most recently dropping matches to Buena Vista, Wartburg, and Luther in Waverly, Iowa last Friday and Saturday.