Gustavus volleyball saw its unbeaten streak end at five tonight after going 1-1 at the Gustavus Classic. The Gusties defeated Martin Luther 3-0 before losing a 3-2 nail-biter to Nebraska Wesleyan. Seniors Jennifer Thelemann and Andrea Kron put down 31 kills and 29 kills, respectively, during the two matches. Junior Bridget Burtzel contributed 81 assists, while junior Emily Klein amassed 39 digs for the evening.
Coach Eckheart’s squad extended their unbeaten streak with a 3-0 (30-16, 30-18, 30-26) victory over Martin Luther. Gustavus led Martin Luther in nearly every statistical category outhitting the Knights 44-25 and outdigging them 50-37. Thelemann (Le Sueur, Minn.) and Kron (Cold Spring, Minn.) led the Gusties with a combined 23 kills. Burtzel (Cold Spring, Minn.) dished out 28 assists.
In a match with several momentum swings, the Gusties fell short of rallying back from a 2-1 deficit against Nebraska Wesleyan. Gustavus had the momentum after winning the first game 30-25. However, Nebraska Wesleyan seized it back in the next two games winning 30-23 and 30-17. The Gusties came out firing winning the next game 30-21 before falling short 15-12 in the deciding game. The ball was evenly distributed as four Gustavus players had double-digit kills. Thelemann had 19 kills, whereas Kron had 18. Sophomore Meghan Gehring (Eau Claire, Wisc.) followed right behind with 17 kills, and junior Britta Bolm (Alexandria, Minn.) recorded 10 kills. Burtzel distributed 53 assists. Nebraska Wesleyan was led offensively by junior Abby Bade with 27 kills.
Gustavus will continue pool play Saturday, September 8 at 10:00 am against St. Scholastica.