SAINT PETER, Minn. — On the heels of a five-set comeback victory over St. Olaf, the Gusties carried their momentum into Tuesday night’s non-conference matchup against Cornell, defeating the Rams in four sets for their seventh win in a row.
Set one was a back-and-forth effort from both teams, with no team taking a lead greater than four through the first 22 points. The Gusties would pull away at the end of the set, defeating the Rams by an eventual 25-18.
Set two told the tale of a different story, with the Rams jumping out to an early lead that they would eventually build to 21-15. The Gusties battled back, though, to even the score at 24-24 before defeating the Rams in a thrilling 26-24 set two.
Determined to force a set four, the Rams held their own against the Gusties in set three, building a lead of 20-15. While the Gusties made a comeback push, the Rams would hold them off for a 26-24 set three victory. The Gusties, on a mission to stop the Rams’ momentum, held on to their lead before delivering the final blow, a 25-20 set four victory.
The lethal combination of Marlee Turn (Jr., Kennedy) and Sarah Elliott (Sr., Lombard, Ill.) were back at it again, posting team-highs in kills for the Gustie offense. Turn added 18 kills, while Elliott delivered 14 and hit an impressive .483. Kasie Tweet (Jr., Adrian) added 45 helpers, marking the third-straight match in which she eclipsed the 40-assist mark. Maren Sundberg (Fy., Eagan) posted a team-high 25 digs for the Gusties, just two better than Turn.
Additionally, the Gusties celebrated their partnership with Team IMPACT, an organization that matches children with serious illness to college athletic teams across the country. The Gusties celebrated Ava Terfehr who was diagnosed with Stage 4 Hodgkin’s Lymphoma. Despite her diagnosis and chemo treatments, she was determined to remain active on her basketball team and other school activities. Ava officially joined the Gustie Volleyball team and as of April 5th, 2022, is officially cancer free.
The Gusties return to action tomorrow night for their second home contest in a row, facing off against St. Catherine for a 7 p.m. MIAC showdown.