WAVERLY, Iowa—Finishing the regular season with a historic 25-0 record, the No. 5 Wartburg Knights defeated the No. 20 Bethel University Royals in four sets, 3-1.
The Knights took the opening two sets (25-23, 25-18) before dropping the third set (21-25). The Knights would charge back to win the fourth set 25-15.
With their win, the Knights have completed the first perfect regular season in program history. The Knights have won 25 or more matches 11 times in program history.
How It Happened
Set one started with an offensive battle, as the Royals and Knights tied the set 11 times early.
Zaiah Quirk and
Kennedy Meister recorded a pair of kills as the Knights took an early 14-11 lead.
Allison Feigenbaum recorded a kill before
Natalie Clayberg extended the lead to four on a service ace. The Royals fought back to tie the set late at 20 before
Kylie Bildstein and
Allison Feigenbaum put the Knights ahead by two.
Jayme Willemssen recorded the final kill as the Knights claimed the first set.
A trio of kills from Bildstein and a kill by Quirk opened the Knights on a 5-3 lead in the second set. The Royals fought back to take an early 9-8 lead before Feigenbaum tied the set at nine. Quirk's service ace with a pair of kills from Meister and Bildstein gave the Knights a five-point advantage as the Royals would not be able to trim the deficit to more than three. Ending the set on a 7-3 run, the Knights took a two-set advantage.
The Knights jumped out to an early 14-8 lead over the Royals in the third set. The Royals weren't going down without a fight, coming back to take a late 20-18 lead over the Knights. Meister and Quirk recorded kills in the final points as the Royals took the third set on back-to-back errors by the Knights.
With one set away from a perfect season, the Knights sprinted out to a 7-2 lead on back-to-back service aces from
Katie Foster. The Knights offense was clicking on all cylinders, taking a 12-5 lead late in the set. Meister recorded three kills in a five-point span as the Knights took an eight-point lead at 17-9. The Royals offense tried to get started late before Willemssen, Feigenbaum, and Bildstein each recorded a pair of kills to win the set.
"Going 25-0 and completing the perfect season is hard to describe," commented head coach
Jennifer Walker. "Our great season is an amazing testament to our players and their dedication to Knights Volleyball. We are excited to host the A-R-C conference tournament next week and make a postseason run."
Knights Stats Leaders
Bildstein led the Knights in kills, recording 16 in the contest. Meister and Feigenbaum recorded 12 and 11 respectively as the Knights tallied 61 kills in the contest. The Knights had a hitting percentage of .267.
Foster recorded three service aces, while Quirk and Clayberg added three combined.
Claire Marsh recorded 49 assists in the contest, while Foster added 24 digs for the Knights.
Climbing in the Books
Foster, Bildstein, and Marsh have all climbed into the Knights Volleyball record book. Foster currently sits at No. 2 in career digs while ranking in the top-10 in service aces. Marsh sits inside the top-10 of career assists, as Bildstein find her way at the career solo blocks leader and attacking percentage.
Conference Champions
With their wins over Simpson and Central, the Knights claimed their seventh consecutive and tenth overall American Rivers Conference Championship. The Knights earn the top seed in the A-R-C tournament and will host the semifinal and final matches, Nov. 5-6 inside Levick Arena.
A Look at the Numbers Nationally (As of 10/24/21)
The Knights are one of two unbeaten teams in the nation, with the other unbeaten team being No. 1 Johns Hopkins. The Knights lead the conference in blocks per set, digs per set, kills per set, hitting percentage, opponent hitting percentage, and total team blocks.
Katie Foster leads the A-R-C in digs per set (5.99) and ranks No. 7 nationally in this category.
Kylie Bildstein leads the A-R-C in blocks per set (.96), hitting percentage (.427), and total blocks (81).
Claire Marsh is second in the conference in assists per set (10.19) and has recorded 856 total assists this season.
In the Polls
The Orange & Black remained at No. 5 in the latest AVCA poll, their third consecutive week inside the Top-5.
Next Time In Action
The Knights will host the A-R-C Conference tournament inside Levick Arena, Nov. 5-6.
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