The Gustavus volleyball team defeated Luther 3-0 and then lost to St. Scholastica 3-2 on the first day of the Sugarloaf Invitational hosted by St. Mary’s University in Winona. The Gusties will continue play on Saturday with a match against Nebraska Wesleyan at noon.
The Gusties started the day win an impressive 3-0 win over Luther by the scores of 33-31, 30-20, 30-20. Jennifer Thelemann (Jr., LeSueur, Minn.) led the attack with 12 kills, while Bridget Burtzel (So., Cold Spring, Minn.) contributed 32 set assists and 11 digs.
In the second game, the Gusties came up just short in a tight match against Saint Scholastica falling 25-30, 30-22, 19-30, 30-22, and 10-15. Andrea Kron (Jr., Cold Spring, Minn.) led Gustavus with 19 kills, while Emily Klein (So., Red Wing, Minn.) turned in a strong defensive effort with 30 kills. Jennifer Thelemann turned in a strong all-around performance with 15 kills, 7 digs, 4 block solos, and 3 block assists.
The Gusties, who are now 5-2 overall, will face Nebraska Wesleyan at noon in their first match on Saturday. The second match the Gusties will play an opponent that will be determined by their finish in pool play. The match will begin at either 2:00 pm or 4:00 pm.