The Gustavus volleyball team will be back in action this weekend when it travels to Waverly, Iowa to take part in the Wartburg College Tournament held Friday, Oct. 5 and Saturday, Oct. 6. The Gusties enter the weekend at 7-11 overall and 1-5 in the MIAC.
Head Coach Rachelle Dosch’s squad looks to snap a three match losing-skid and get back on track this weekend in its final tournament of the 2012 season. So far this season, the Gusties are 6-6 in tournament play.
After falling in seven of its last eight matches, Gustavus is seeking a spark in Waverly as it embarks on the final month of the regular season. Following this weekend’s matches, Gustavus will conclude October with five of its last six contests against league opponents.
After the opening month, Gustavus carries a team attack percentage of .145, which ranks 11th in the MIAC. Rookie Becca Woodstra (Minnetonka, Minn.) and senior Emily Phillips (Cleveland, Minn.) have led the offensive so far, combining for 365 kills. Woodstra leads the team with 184 kills (2.67 kps) and an attack percentage of .210, while Phillips has 535 kills (2.62 kps) with an attack percentage of .226.
The Gusties are averaging 13.59 digs per set (11th/MIAC) with Paige Breneman (So., Sherburn, Minn.) and Woodstra leading the way defensively. Breneman has a team-high 269 digs, while Woodstra has recorded 144. Lisa Beacher (Sr., Roseville, Minn.), Kendra Weege (So., Watertown, Minn.), and Shelby Nosan (Baudette, Minn.) have also reached the 100-dig mark – Beacher with 114, Weege with 106, and Nosan with 101. Weege has been the primary setter down the stretch, entering the weekend with a total of 509 assists to rank her sixth in the MIAC.
The Black and Gold will look for fast starts throughout the weekend as the club is 7-1 when winning the opening set and 0-10 when losing the first set.
Gustavus will kick off the tournament at 4:00 p.m. on Friday with a match against Simpson. The Gusties will then take on Carthage at 8:00 p.m. to conclude day one. On Saturday, the team will face Bethel at 12:00 p.m. before rounding out the weekend against host Wartburg at 4:00 p.m. Live stats and live video will be provided for Gustavus’ final match against Wartburg.