WAVERLY, Iowa - The Wartburg volleyball team opens American Rivers Conference Tournament action Thursday evening, hosting a semifinal match versus No. 4 seeded Nebraska Wesleyan University.
The Knights went 8-0 during conference play to earn a fifth-straight regular season title. Wartburg received the No. 1 seed and a first round bye.
Thursday, Nov. 7 • 7 p.m. • Levick Arena •
LIVE STATS |
WATCH
No. 1 Wartburg Knights (23-7, 8-0 A-R-C) vs. No. 4 Nebraska Wesleyan Prairie Wolves (20-7, 5-3 A-R-C)
LAST TIME OUT
Wartburg went 3-0 last week with wins over Buena Vista, Northwestern-St. Paul, and Cornell. The Knights clinched the A-R-C regular season crown during senior night last Tuesday with a sweep over BVU, and followed with a pair of wins hosting the Wartburg Invitational on Saturday to extend their winning streak to nine.
BILDSTEIN AND FOSTER EARN POTW HONORS
Juniors
Kylie Bildstein and
Katie Foster swept the A-R-C Volleyball weekly awards, with Bildstein named Offensive Player of the Week and Foster named Defensive Player of the Week.
Bildstein earned her second Offensive Player of the Week honor in 2019, recording 35 kills with an average of 2.92 per set and an attack percentage of 0.353. She notched a career-high 20 kills versus Northwestern-St. Paul.
Now a six-time Defensive Player of the Week award winner this season, Foster tallied 63 digs in three matches with an average of 5.25 per set.
TRIO NAMED ALL-CONFERENCE; FOSTER NAMED MVP AND DEFENSIVE POTY
The American Rivers Conference announced the 2019 All-Conference volleyball team on Thursday, Nov. 7, with
Kylie Bildstein,
Katie Foster, and
Jayme Willemssen representing Wartburg.
Additionally, Foster was named the A-R-C MVP and Defensive Player of the Year, while
Claire Marsh received Honorable Mention honors.
The Knights finished 8-0 during A-R-C competition to earn a fifth consecutive regular season conference title. Bildstein led the conference with a .413 hitting percentage and 16 solo blocks to garner her second career All-Conference award.
Willemssen also ranked among the top 10 in the conference with a .230 hitting percentage and 0.70 blocks per set. Marsh totaled 168 assists during A-R-C play, average 5.6 per set.
Foster, now a three-time All-Conference player, becomes the eighth Knight in program history to earn MVP honors. Aryn Jones '18 brought home the award in 2016 & 2017. Foster, the 2017 Freshman of the Year, led the conference defensively during the regular season with 698 digs, averaging 5.97 per set. During conference play, she tied for the lead with 16 service aces.
SERIES HISTORY
Wartburg has won five consecutive matches over Nebraska Wesleyan, including a sweep over the Prairie Wolves earlier this season. Thursday's match marks the first time the two teams will face each other during the A-R-C Tournament.
CONFERENCE TOURNEY
The Orange and Black have won eight conference tournament titles, including three-straight from 2015-17. Last season, the Knights fell 3-1 to the No. 2 seeded University of Dubuque to miss the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2014.
WARTBURG
- Wartburg finished A-R-C competition ranked first with a 0.211 hitting percentage and 0.106 opponent hitting percentage.
- The Knights' 275.5 team blocks leads the NCAA, while the 2.33 blocks per set ranks 6th.
- Kylie Bildstein leads the conference and ranks 11th nationally with 1.14 blocks per set.
- Katie Foster has the fourth-most digs in the nation with 698 digs, leading the conference with 5.97 per set.
NEBRASKA WESLEYAN
- The Prairie Wolves defeated No. 5 seed Coe 3-2 on Tuesday evening in the first round of the A-R-C Tournament in Lincoln, Neb.
- NWU is currently riding a 10-match win streak.
- Nebraska Wesleyan went 5-3 during conference play to finish fourth in the conference standings.
- Cora Svoboda finished A-R-C play ranked third with a .312 hitting percentage. Hannah Bellinghausen ranked 6th with 103 kills.
