SAINT PETER, Minn. – The No. 11 Gustavus volleyball team is set to compete in its final regular season tournament of the season Saturday as it takes part in the St. Kate’s Tournament. The Gusties enter the tournament 19-2 overall and will take on UC-Santa Cruz (6-15) at 1 p.m. followed by Luther (10-13) at 3 p.m.
The Series: Saturday’s match against UC-Santa Cruz marks the first-ever meeting between the Gusties and Banana Slugs. The match against Luther will be the 18th all-time meeting between the two programs with the Gusties leading the series 12-5. The Gusties defeated the Norse in straight sets last year.
Scouting the Gusties: Gustavus is currently riding an 11-match winning streak, most recently defeating St. Thomas 3-1 on Wednesday. Gustavus’s 90.5 winning percentage ranks 10th in the country, which is backed by a strong offensive attack. The Gusties’ 12.19 assists and 13.03 kills per set rank 29th and 33rd, respectively, in Division III and their .228 hitting percentage is 42nd. Kate Holtan (So., Rochester, Minn.) continues to lead the attack with 253 kills (3.24 per set) and is strong on the back line as well, averaging 3.15 digs per set. Nora Holtan (Sr., Rochester, Minn.) directs traffic on the floor with 9.78 assists per set. Holtan currently has 4,142 career assists and needs 60 more to break the Gustavus assist record, held by Jess Lobben (1993-96). Holtan’s .311 hitting percentage is also best on the team. Brittany Luethmers (Sr., Prior Lake, Minn.) leads the defense with 4.77 digs per set.