STEVENS POINT, Wis. – The No. 20 ranked Gustavus volleyball team defeated Lakeland College in three sets prior to falling in five against the No. 12-ranked Millikin University during day one of the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point Tournament on Friday.
With this first loss of 2017, the Gusties’ record moves to 5-1 overall on the season.
Gustavus vs. Lakeland: 25-18, 25-10, 25-22
A balanced attack guided the Gusties against the Muskies, as five players recorded at least six kills. Lauren Hanson (Jr., Redwood Falls, Minn.) and Hanna Albers (Jr., St. Louis, Mo.) led the way with nine kills each, while Sam Haugen (Jr., Becker, Minn.) tallied nine kills on eight attempts for an efficient .750 attack percentage.
Nora Holtan (Jr., Rochester, Minn.) compiled 27 assists and six digs, while Brittany Luethmers (Jr., Prior Lake, Minn.) led the Black and Gold with 15 digs.
As a team, Gustavus totaled 41 kills with 18 errors on 107 attempts to post a .215 hitting percentage. Lakeland was limited to 20 kills and a .043 attack percentage.
Gustavus vs. Millikin: 25-14, 23-25, 21-25, 25-17, 12-15
The Gusties battled hard against their toughest opponent yet, taking Millikin to the fifth set and falling 3-2 for the first loss of 2017. Gustavus finished with a .196 attack percentage with 50 kills compared to Millikin’s 60-dig total and .127 attack percentage.
With each set going back and forth, the Gusties took the first lead as they claimed the first set, 25-14. Millikin bounced back two take the next two sets prior to Gustavus winning the fourth. In the rubber match, Millikin was able to maintain a slight lead until the Gusties battled back to a one-point deficit, trailing 11-12, but the Big Blue held on for the 15-12 win.
Kate Holtan (Fy., Rochester, Minn.) notched a season-high 12 kills, while N. Holtan and Albers each recorded nine. N. Holtan also recorded a double-double with 31 assists and a career-high 24 digs. Luethmers added a season-high 22 digs.
“Nora (Holtan), Kate (Holtan), and Hanna (Albers) led the offense,” said Head Coach Rachelle Sherden. “We played gritty defense while both the front row and back row served aggressively. There were a few lapses in our focus and aggressiveness and the opponent capitalized on that. It was a tough battle and we are looking forward to another competitive day tomorrow.”
Gustavus concludes the tournament tomorrow, starting with a matchup against host school UW-Stevens Point at noon, followed by a match with Edgewood College at 2 p.m.