ST. PETER, Minn. – The No. 11-ranked Gustavus volleyball team is set for its final non-conference tournament of the 2017 season, heading to Wartburg College in Waverly, Iowa this weekend with three matches ahead.
The Gusties open the Wartburg Invitational on Friday against the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse at 5:30 p.m. Day two of the tournament is set with matches against Wartburg and Luther College at 10 a.m. and noon.
Last time out
The Gusties claimed their third consecutive Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference sweep Wednesday evening at St. Olaf College, improving their record to 16-3 overall and 5-1 in the MIAC. A collective effort led the Gustie attack against the Oles, with Hanna Albers (Jr., St. Louis, Mo.) leading the way with nine kills and a .368 attack percentage. Kate Holtan (Fy., Rochester, Minn.) followed Albers with eight kills, while Lauren Hanson (Jr., Redwood Falls, Minn.) and Nora Holtan (Jr., Rochester, Minn.) each added seven. N. Holtan also guided the offense with 27 assists and Brittany Luethmers (Jr., Prior Lake, Minn.) led the defense with 15 digs.
UW-La Crosse match up information:
- Friday’s matchup marks the 18th all-time meeting between the Gusties and the Eagles, with UW-La Crosse holding a 13-4 series advantage. The two teams last faced each other in 2014, with the Eagles prevailing 3-2.
- Receiving votes in the latest AVCA poll, UW-La Crosse is unbeaten during Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Play at 3-0, whiling owning a 12-4 overall record.
- The Eagle’s attack is led by Stephanie Henk, averaging 3.57 kills per set with 182 total kills. Maddie Entinger leads the team with 491 assists, while Halle Barnabo leads the defense with an average of 4.73 digs per set.
- 2017 Stats | Schedule
Wartburg match up information:
- Saturday’s matchup marks the 14th all-time meeting between the Gusties and the Knights, with Wartburg holding an 11-2 series advantage. The Gusties defeated the Knights 3-2 last season at the Loras College Tournament.
- Receiving votes in the latest AVCA poll, Wartburg is unbeaten during Iowa Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Play at 4-0, whiling owning a 14-3 overall record.
- The Knights lead the IIAC with an average of 12.65 kills per set. Aryn Jones leads the Wartburg attack and the IIAC with a .377 hitting percentage, averaging 4.1 kills per set. Katie Foster ranks second in the IIAC with 5.12 digs per set, compiling 307 on the season to guide the Knights defense.
- 2017 Stats | Schedule
Luther match up information:
- Saturday’s matchup marks the 17th all-time meeting between the Gusties and the Norse, with Gustavus holding an 11-5 series advantage. The last matchup came during the 2015 season in which the Black and Gold swept Luther at Gus Young Court.
- The Norse own a 10-7 overall record and have gone 2-2 against conference opponents. Luther averages 11.6 kills per set and has a .176 attack percentage.
- Anna Larson leads the offense with 2.78 kills per set, followed by 2.68 from Emma Veum. Sam Sixta sets up the attack with 9.12 assists per set, while Natalie Cote leads the defensive effort with an average of 4.22 digs per set.
- 2017 Stats | Schedule