ST. PETER, Minn. – The Gustavus volleyball team has hit the final stretch of the regular season with just four conference games remaining before playoffs. The Gusties – who are 21-2 overall and in first place in the MIAC with a 7-0 record – became to first team in the league to clinch a playoff berth. But there is still plenty to battle for with home court advantage and the regular season championship up for grabs.
The playoff picture will become clearer after this weekend as Gustavus hits the road for two important matchups against a pair of playoff contenders. At 7 p.m. Friday the Gusties take on Concordia College, who currently sits in fifth place in the MIAC standings with a 5-2 mark and is 13-8 overall. The Gusties then have a quick turnaround with a 3 p.m. match on Saturday at the College of Saint Benedict who is in third place in the MIAC at 6-2 and is 15-7 overall.
Here are important links to follow this weekend’s action:
FRIDAY AT CONCORDIA: LIVE STATS | WATCH LIVE
SATURDAY AT SAINT BEN’S: LIVE STATS/WATCH LIVE
GUSTAVUS LINKS: ROSTER | SCHEDULE | STATS
CONCORDIA LINKS: ROSTER | SCHEDULE | STATS
SAINT BEN’S LINKS: ROSTER | SCHEDULE | STATS
The Gusties broke a 31-year old record last Saturday as they won their 20th and 21st straight matches, setting a new program record for consecutive victories. The Gusties defeated both Simpson and Loras in straight sets, breaking the previous record of 20 consecutive wins to start the 1984 season.
Gustavus posted its highest attack percentage (.413) of the season in the straight-set victory over the Simpson. The Gusties won by convincing scores of 25-16, 25-14 and 25-16. Individually, Lauren Hanson (Fy., Redwood Falls, Minn.) posted a season-best .542 attack percentage with 14 kills on 24 attempts and just one error. Nora Holtan (Fy., Rochester, Minn.) recorded a double-double with team-highs in assists (28) and digs (11).
The record-setting win came in shutout fashion as the Gusties beat the Duhawks by scores of 25-12, 29-27 and 25-9.
Hanson and Alyssa Taylor (Sr., Trimont, Minn.) led the offense with 12 kills apiece. Hanson hit at a .414 rate on the kill, while Taylor posted a .375 attack percentage. Holtan distributed 37 assists and dug out 12 attacks for her second double-double of the day. Brittany Luethmers (Fy., Prior Lake, Minn.) led the back line with 20 digs.
After 23 matches this season, Taylor leads the Gusties with 229 kills (3.14 per set, 8th/MIAC), a .368 attack percentage (1st/MIAC) and 89 blocks (1.22 per set, 1st/MIAC). Holtan has the most assists with 678 (8.69 per set, 3rd/MIAC), and Leuthmers leads the back line with 366 digs (4.57 per set, 10th/MIAC).
Concordia is coming off a 1-3 showing at the Nike/Eastbay Sandy Schumacher Memorial Tournament in Eau Claire, Wis. last weekend. The Cobbers lost to UW-Eau Claire (1-3) and UW-Stout (1-3) on Friday and then lost to UW-River Falls (0-3) on Saturday before beating St. Scholastica (3-1) in their final match of the tourney.
After 20 matches this season the Cobbers are led by Olivia Wangensteen (Sr., Woodbury, Minn.) on the attack as she has 216 kills (2.92 per set). The setting responsibilities have been split between Mandy Mercil (Jr., Dilworth, Minn.) and Jena Klaphake (Jr., Sauk Centre, Minn.). Mercil has 388 assists (5.46 per set), while Klaphake has 379 assists (5.12 per set). On the back line, Korbyn Ross (So., Winger, Minn.) leads the way with 374 digs (5.05 per set).
While the Gusties and Cobbers battle on Friday, Saint Ben’s has the night off as it waits for Gustavus to pay a visit Saturday afternoon. The Blazers most recently played St. Scholastica Wednesday in St. Joseph, Minn. and came away with a five-set victory (25-23, 26-24, 24-26, 12-25 and 15-12). Sophomore setter Megan Pekarek (Plymouth, Minn.) had a triple-double with 50 assists, 13 digs and 11 kills in the five-set thriller. Those 50 assists for Pekarek were just one away from her career-high of 51. Four Blazers were in the double-digits for kills as Laura Schmitt (Sr., Waconia, Minn.) led the team with 15, Mary Franz (Sr., Broomfield, Colo.) added 13, Lauren Mathews (Fy., Faribault, Minn.) chipped in with 12 and Pekarek totaled 11. Megan Barta (Fy., Prior Lake, Minn.) led the CSB defense with 19 digs and Schmitt and Koop each finished with 17. Mathews, Franz and Koop all had three blocks.
After 22 matches this season, Schmitt leads the Blazers offensively with 314 kills (3.57 per set, 4th/MIAC). Pekarek does nearly all of the setting as she has 833 assists (9.47 per set, 1st/MIAC). Barta and Meghan Koop (Jr., Roseville, Minn.) lead the back line with 354 (4.16 per set) and 353 digs (4.01 per set), respectively.