ST. PETER, Minn. – The Gustavus volleyball team is set to host Macalester College at 7 p.m. Wednesday in a Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference matchup. The contest is designated as Gustavus’ annual ‘Dig Pink’ match to help raise awareness of breast cancer. The Gusties enter with an 18-2 overall record and 6-0 mark in the MIAC, while the Scots are 13-7 overall and 1-5 in the conference.
Live online coverage of tomorrow night’s match begins at 7 p.m.
GUSTAVUS LINKS: ROSTER | SCHEDULE | STATS
MACALESTER LINKS: ROSTER | SCHEDULE | STATS
The Gustavus volleyball team won its 18th consecutive match Saturday afternoon at Gus Young Court, defeating the University of Wisconsin-Superior in straight sets 25-15, 25-20 and 25-14.
Alyssa Taylor (Sr., Trimont, Minn.) led the Gusties with 10 kills on 15 attempts and two errors for an attack percentage of .533. Nora Holtan (Fy., Rochester, Minn.) posted 33 assists and Brittany Luethmers (Fy., Prior Lake, Minn.) tallied 12 digs. Gustavus hit .214 on the attack, while the Yellowjackets posted a pedestrian .013 attack percentage.
After 20 matches this season, Taylor leads the Gusties with 217 kills (3.10 per set) and her .368 attack percentage is best in the league. Taylor also leads the MIAC with an average of 1.21 blocks per set. Holtan is the Gusties’ top setter as her 8.44 assists per set is second in the league. Her strong performance last week earned Holtan the honor or MIAC Setter-of-the-Week.
Macalester is coming off a loss in straight sets against Hamline University last Saturday. The Scots lost by close set scores of 21-25, 22-25 and 26-28.
Each set was a battle in Saturday’s contest as Macalester held off match points twice in the final set. Statistically, the Scots recorded just two kills less than Hamline (43) in the match.
Clara Bauman (So., Wausau, Wis.) led the way offensively, recording 17 kills and hitting .297. Baumann matched her offensive efforts on the defensive side, picking up 17 digs. India Medaris (So., Napa, Calif.) recorded 10 kills in the match. Kasey McMaster (Sr., Oak Ridge, Tenn.) dished out 24 assists for the Scots. Shayna Prochovnick (Sr., San Francisco, Calif.) picked up 10 digs.
After 20 matches this season, Bauman leads the Scots with 205 kills (3.06 per set). Arianna Hesterberg (Sr., Kenmore, Wash.) leads the team in assists with 493 (8.08 per set, 5th/MIAC) and is dangerous on the serve as she leads the MIAC with 0.66 service aces per set, while Cora Trout (Columbia, Mo.) leads the back line with 373 digs (5.65 per set, 4th/MIAC).
DIG PINK
Gustavus is one of thousands of teams from around the country that participate in this event every October. Middle school, high school and college teams will promote breast health education in the community as well as raise funds to further research.
Gustavus players, along with coaches and fans will wear pink clothing in honor of breast cancer victims, patients, and survivors. Spectators are also encouraged to participate through a donation to the Side-Out Foundation, the organization responsible for organizing Dig Pink events across the nation. Donations will be accepted at the table near the entrance. All proceeds benefit Side-Out, which in turn awards grants to medical research organizations and entities dedicated to providing compassionate support to breast cancer patients and their families.
For the second year there will be multiple raffles that feature prizes such as a $100 Gustavus gift basket, Gustavus t-shirts and sunglasses, and coupons to Erbert and Gerbert’s.
Fans are also encouraged to interact on social media leading up to the event on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook using the hashtag #pinkout.
The Side-Out Foundation is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization that was established in 2004 to unite volleyball players and coaches and to have them work toward the common goal of making a significant and identifiable difference in the lives of breast cancer patients and their families. The organization’s goal is to advance clinical trials, increase patient support services and educate communities. Side-Out supports teams nationwide in their volleyball tournaments, clinics and other fundraising efforts. The foundation offers practical support for fundraising in addition to educational material for participants in order to help them become effective advocates for breast cancer. It contributes the funds to organizations that serve breast cancer patients, whether it be in the form of research, medical services or patient support.
The term side-out refers to a situation in volleyball when one team wins a point while its opponent is serving, thereby regaining serve or control of play. It is hoped that Side-Out will do the same for breast cancer patients, providing them with the support, education and best available treatments to regain control of their lives.