Alyssa Taylor was named Hitter-of-the-Week for the first time this season.
Article courtesy of Matt Higgins, MIAC Assistant Executive Director
ST. PAUL, Minn. – The Gustavus volleyball team continued its remarkable run with a pair of huge five-set MIAC wins last week to clinch at least a share of the conference championship and extend its winning streak to 23 victories in a row. Leading the way was senior middle hitter Alyssa Taylor (Trimont, Minn./Martin County West), who accumulated 27 kills, a .230 hitting percentage, nine digs, eight blocks and two aces in the two victories. For her performance, the MIAC sports information directors honored Taylor Monday with the MIAC Volleyball Hitter-of-the-Week award.
Taylor started her big weekend with 16 kills, four digs and two total blocks in Friday’s 3-2 road win at Concordia. She was just as good a day later, as she led the Gusties to a 3-2 win at Saint Benedict with 11 kills, six total blocks, five digs and two aces. Against the Blazers, Taylor had just three attack errors and helped Gustavus rally from a two-set deficit to keep the winning streak alive. This season, Taylor leads the MIAC with her .350 hitting percentage and 32 solo blocks. Her 97 total blocks rank third in the league, and she’s also in the top 10 in kills (256) and kills per set (3.08).
Thanks to last week’s wins, Gustavus is now 23-2 overall and has won a school-record 23-straight matches. The Gusties improved to a perfect 9-0 in the MIAC and locked up at least a share of the conference title – the team’s fifth overall and first since 1986. This week, the Gusties wrap up the MIAC regular season with a pair of home matches – Wednesday against Hamline at 7 p.m. and Saturday against Saint Mary’s at 3 p.m. – with one win needed to claim the conference title outright.