LA CROSSE, Wis.—Building on their best program start, the #16 Wartburg College Knights volleyball squad swept Hamline in action this afternoon at the UW-La Crosse Invitational.
 
The Orange & Black won by set scores of 25-22, 25-14, 25-17.
 
How It Happened
 
The Pipers of Hamline took an early 4-2 lead in the opening set before Kylie Bildstein and Jayme Willemssen recorded an early block for the Knights. Off the Bildstein and Willemssen block, the Orange & Black started a 6-2 over Hamline, jumping out to a 9-6 advantage. Back-to-back kills tied the game at 10 as neither team could gain an advantage. A kill from Bildstein set the Orange & Black up for the final point, as Kennedy Meister found the point off an assist by Claire Marsh.  
 
The Pipers opened the second set on a 4-2 run as Willemssen recorded two kills and a block by Zaiah Quirk gave the Orange & Black a 6-4 lead. Gaining momentum, the Orange & Black jumped out to an 11-6 lead early and never looked back. Sending Marsh back to serve, the Orange & Black extended their lead to 11 and 20-9. The Orange & Black traded points with the Pipers as the Orange & Black defeated the Pipers 25-14.
 
Quirk was credited with three kills in the Orange & Black's opening seven points in the third and final set. The Orange & Black found the cruise control, extending their lead to five at 12-7 on a Willemssen kill. On an assist from Marsh, Nell Sybesma led the final charge for the Orange & Black as they finished on a 4-2 run, improving to 10-0 on the season.
 
A Look at the Numbers
 
The Orange & Black tallied 49 kills in the match, with a hitting percentage of .333. The Knights added a pair of aces from Meister and Caroline Kluesner. The Knights had 47 assists, with Marsh accounting for 41 assists.
 
Meister led the Knights in kills (14), as Quirk and Willemssen added 12 and 11 respectively. Willemssen led the Knights in blocks with three, while Katie Foster recorded 18 of the Knights 63 digs.  
 
Tournament Information
 
The Knights face tournament hosts UW-La Crosse at 11 a.m. on Sept. 18, before concluding action with a match against Elmhurst at 1 p.m.
 
Previewing UW-La Crosse and Elmhurst
 
The Knights and Eagles of UW-La Crosse have met 25 times in program history, with the series record sitting at 12-12-1 ahead of Saturday's match. The last meeting for the teams came in 2019, as the Knights defeated the Eagles 3-1 in Waverly.
 
The Bluejays of Elmhurst holds an 8-0 series edge over the Knights in action, with the last meeting coming in the 2013.
 
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