WAVERLY, Iowa -- The Wartburg College volleyball team (14-6, 4-1 A-R-C) handed the Simpson College Storm (15-5, 3-1 A-R-C) its first conference loss of the season with a straight sweep Friday night at Levick Arena.
The Knights won by set scores of 25-20, 25-23, and 25-22 in a match featured 21 ties and nine lead changes.
Wartburg showed an efficient offensive performance, recording 42 kills while hitting .234 as a team. Defensively, the Knights controlled the net with 11 total blocks, while Simpson recorded just five, and added eight service aces on the night.
Anna Sash led the way with another standout performance, finishing with 12 kills and seven blocks, as
Kaylee Koudelka followed with nine kills and three aces.
Sophie Sedgwick and
Haedyn Rebelsky distributed offensvively, each tallying 16 assists. Defensively,
Peyton Robinson anchored the back row with 14 digs and added three aces to her stat line.
Wartburg hit an easy .268 in the opening set, while holding Simpson to just .184. The Knights served up four aces, as
Kaylee Koudelka led the squad with five kills and
Whitney Klyn and
Anna Sash were credited with four. The Orange and Black never trailed in the opening set, coming away with a 25-20 opening set victory.
Simpson scored the opening point in set two to claim its first lead of the match before Wartburg regained a 4-3 lead after a kill from Sash. A swift 4-0 run from the Storm made it 9-6 later on. The Storm stormed back to make it at a one-point game at 23-22, but as both teams traded service errors, Sash put the set to rest with another block to secure a 25-23 set two win.
The Knights trailed by three at 12-9, but overcame the short deficit to regain an 18-16 lead after an attack error. Wartburg led 24-21, as Sash put the exclamation point with her 12th kill of the night to sweep Simpson.
The Knights handed the Storm their first straight sweep defeat since Oct. 26 of last season. Wartburg has now taken down Simpson in ten of its last 11 matches and leads the all-time series, 40-37.
UP NEXT
The Knights will host the Central College Dutch for Senior Day on Saturday, Oct. 18 inside Levick Arena. First serve is set for 11 a.m.
