ST. PETER, Minn. – The Gustavus volleyball team is set to host Saint Mary’s University at 3 p.m. Saturday in what may be a playoff preview. The Gusties enter the match with an overall record of 24-2 and are 10-0 in the MIAC, which has them locked as the No. 1 seed for playoffs, while the Cardinals are 19-8 overall and 8-2 in the league, and fighting for the No. 2 seed.
Live online coverage of tomorrow’s match begins at 3 p.m.
GUSTAVUS LINKS: ROSTER | SCHEDULE | STATS
SAINT MARY’S LINKS: ROSTER | SCHEDULE | STATS
The Gusties claimed the Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference regular season championship outright Wednesday night as they defeated Hamline University in four sets 25-19, 25-27, 25-19 and 25-23. The conference title is Gustavus’ first since 1986 and fifth overall. The Gusties also extended their program record win streak to 24 matches in a row.
Taylor Trautman (Jr., Hutchinson, Minn.) led the Gustie offense with a career-high 18 kills on 31 attempts and three errors for an attack percentage of .484. Trautman also tallied 10 digs for a double-double. Alyssa Taylor (Sr., Trimont, Minn.) and Becca Woodstra (Sr., Minnetonka, Minn.) also reached double digit kills with 12 and 10, respectively. Nora Holtan (Fy., Rochester, Minn.) recorded her 11th double-double of the season with a match-high 43 assists along with 13 digs. Brittany Luethmers (Fy., Prior Lake, Minn.) led the defense with 19 digs.
After 26 matches this season, Taylor leads the Gusties with a .356 attack percentage, which is second best in the MIAC. Taylor has 209 kills and averages 2.94 per set. The Martin County West product is also a defensive force at the net with 99 total blocks for an average of 1.14 per set (2nd/MIAC). Holtan ranks second in the league with an 8.75 assists per set average and has 809 total. On the back line, Luethmers leads the Gusties with an average of 4.80 digs per set (7th/MIAC) and 451 total.
After having to rally from a 2-0 deficit to beat Macalester 3-2 last Saturday, the Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota volleyball team took a little different approach in its Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference match against Carleton. There would be no need for a late comeback against the Knights, as Saint Mary’s sandwiched a pair of 25-20 wins around a 25-17 set two victory en route to a 3-0 conference win over Carleton Wednesday.
Macki Fadness (Eau Claire, Wis.) led the Cardinals’ offensive charge against Carleton Wednesday, collecting a match-high 15 kills, while Jenna Sullivan (Woodbury, Minn.) added nine and Molly Urban (Roseville, Minn.) chipped in seven. Tayler MacVey (Dodge Center, Minn.) and Brittney Hanson (Janesville, Iowa) combined for 40 assists—22 from MacVey and 18 from Hanson—with Sullivan adding a team-best 11 digs. Lex Krogstad (Chicago, Ill.) chipped in nine digs and four service aces and Cassidy Bittle (Winona, Minn.) finished with a team-leading four blocks.