WAVERLY, Iowa- Defending Levick Arena in back-to-back sweeps, the #10 Wartburg Knights Volleyball squad swept Augustana (IL) and Carleton.

The Knights defeated Augustana 25-10, 25-21, 25-12. The Knights posted set scores of 25-16, 25-13, and 25-9 against Carleton.

How It Happened vs Augustana  

Katie Foster, Kylie Bildstein, Jayme Willemssen, and Allison Feigenbaum found themselves in the game book as the Orange & Black to an early 10-2 lead in the first set. A late Willemssen kill extended the Orange and Black's lead to 12 at 19-7 as the Vikings of Augustana scored three unanswered points. Bildstein got the Knights started on the final push of the game, as the Knight ended on a 6-0 run.

Willemssen and Meister recorded a pair of blocks early in the second set as the Vikings took an early 7-5 lead. The Knights struggled offensively as the Vikings built the lead out to three at 14-11. The Knights fought back to tie the set four times as a Lindsey Spolidoro service ace started the Knights on a 5-2 streak to win the set.

Looking to sweep the first game of the day, the Orange & Black took an early 8-3 lead. The Vikings challenged the Knights early and brought the set within two at 9-7 as Zaiah Quirk and Bildstein tallied back-to-back kills for the Knights. A trio of kills by the Orange & Black extended the lead to six at 17-11 before the Vikings scored their final point of the set. The Orange & Black recorded four kills in the closing points of the match.

How It Happened vs Carleton

Tying the first set against Carleton at 4, the Knights started a 5-1 run on a pair of Willemssen kills. Claire Marsh recorded a pair of service aces late in the set as the Knights jumped out to a 19-10 lead. Points would be traded back-and-forth in the closing minutes of the game as the Knights took set one.

Carleton recorded a series of attacking errors in the opening points of the second set as the Orange & Black took an early four-point lead. The Knights defense helped the squad take a late 16-6 lead. Carleton would come within seven late in the set before Spolidoro recorded a kill for the Knights. The Knights finished the set on a 7-2 run.

The Orange & Black tallied kills from Willemssen, Quirk, Bildstein, and Feigenbaum as they took an early 11-3 lead in the third and final set. Carleton recorded three final kills as the Knights offense took off in the final set.

The Orange & Black swept Carleton on Sept. 4 inside Levick Arena.

A Look At the Numbers

• Bildstein led the Knights in total kills against Augustana with 11, while Feigenbaum recorded seven. Bildstein led the Knights in total blocks with eight, while Willemssen added five to her total.
• Foster led the team in digs with 29, while Claire Marsh had a pair of aces for the Knights, as the team recorded three total service aces.
• Overall, the Knights were credited with 40 kills and a hitting percentage of .238.
• Against Carleton, Bildstein was the kills leader, tallying eight total. Willemssen and Quirk added seven each to their stat lines as the Knights recorded 33 total kills.
• Foster and Marsh recorded a pair of service aces as the Knights would be credited with six in the contest.
• With 87 total attacks, the Knights had a hitting percentage of .310. 

In the Polls
 
The Knights jumped six spots in the AVCA poll released on Sept. 21, now sitting in the No. 10 spot.
 
Next Time in Action
The Knights welcome American Rivers Conference rivals, Luther, to Levick Arena on Sept. 29. First serve is slated for 7:30 p.m. 

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