SAINT PETER, Minn. – The No. 11 Gustavus volleyball team continues MIAC play on the road Saturday afternoon at St. Catherine. First serve is set for 3 p.m. The Gusties enter the match 13-2 overall and 4-0 in the MIAC, while the Wildcats are 7-6 overall and 0-4 in the league.
The Series: Saturday’s match marks the 69th all-time meeting between the Gustavus and St. Catherine volleyball programs with the Gusties leading the series 42-24-2. The two teams last faced each other Sept. 30, 2017 in Saint Peter with the Gusties winning in straight sets.
Scouting the Gusties: Gustavus is on a five-match win streak after defeating Macalester in straight sets Thursday. The Gusties are hitting .239 on the attack and average 13.1 kills per set, led by Kate Holtan (So. Rochester, Minn.). Holtan has a team-best 177 kills (3.28 per set) along with a .244 attack percentage. Nora Holtan (Sr., Rochester, Minn.) averages 9.83 assists per set and has a team-high .324 hitting percentage. Brittany Luethmers (Sr., Prior Lake, Minn.) averages 4.56 digs per set and is 13 away from her 2,000th career dig.
Scouting the Wildcats: St. Kate’s most recently lost 3-0 at Augsburg on Wednesday and has dropped four of its past five matches. The Wildcats are strong on the serve, averaging a league-leading 2.31 aces per set. They average 11.4 kills per set and hit .159 on the attack. Emma Nelson leads the attack with 2.52 kills per set with a .130 percentage. The offense runs through Brooke Beuning and Meagan Schwarzrock with 217 and 190 assists, respectively. Grace Amacher leads the back line, averaging 5.67 digs per set.