Wednesday, Nov. 5 | Cedar Rapids, IA | Kohawk Arena
Wartburg vs. Coe | 6 PM
WATCH | LIVE STATS
 
Saturday, Nov. 8 | Mount Vernon, IA | Small Athletic and Wellness Center
Wartburg vs. Cornell | 1 PM
WATCH | LIVE STATS
 
The Wartburg College volleyball team (15-9 overall) prepares for its final tests this week with a conference match with Coe College, before taking on Cornell College. The Knights play a single match with the Kohawks on Wednesday, Nov. 5, beginning at 6 p.m., and a match with the Rams on Saturday, Nov. 8 at 1 p.m.
 
KNIGHTS
Record: 15-9, 4-3 ARC
Last Game: L, 3-1 at St. Mary's (MN)
Rankings: N/A
Head Coach: DeAnn Akins (1st Season) | 15-9 overall
All-time vs. Coe: 44-15-1
All-time vs. Cornell: 35-18-1

KOHAWKS
Record: 17-8, 6-1 ARC
Last Game: W, 3-1 at Nebraska Wesleyan University
Rankings: N/A
Head Coach: April Elsbernd (1st Season) | 17-8 overall

RAMS
Record: 15-10, 7-0 MWC
Last Game: W, 3-1 vs Knox College
Rankings: N/A
Head Coach: Jeff Meeker (24th Season) | 513-342 overall

ABOUT THE KNIGHTS
Wartburg begins the final week with a 15-9 record after defeating St. Mary's University, 3-1, on Oct. 29. Sophomore middle hitter Anna Sash leads the Knights with 242 kills, followed closely by Kaylee Koudelka with 213. Defensively, Peyton Robinson has recorded a team-best 413 digs, while setter Sophie Sedgwick has tallied 491 assists.
Sash leads the American Rivers Conference with 112 total blocks, the highest mark in the league to date and a total that ranks third in the nation. Robinson paces the team in service aces (39), followed closely by the trio of Aspen Falk (31), Whitney Klyn (30), and Sedgwick (30).

WHERE WARTBURG RANKS IN THE A-R-C
First in blocks per set (2.03)
Third in service aces per set (2.11)

Sash is first in total blocks (112), second in hitting percentage (.338) and third in total points (338). Robinson is third in services aces (39) and digs per set (4.51).
 
SASH PICKS UP SECOND A-R-C DEFENSIVE POTW HONOR
Third in the nation with 97 blocks, Anna Sash picked up her second American Rivers Conference Player of the Week Award on Oct.13, following her first nod Sept. 29. 

ROBINSON SURPASSES 1,000-DIG MARK
Junior Peyton Robinson etched her name into program history by recording her 1,000th career dig in a 13-dig effort against Luther on Sept. 23. Sash recorded two blocks against Buena Vista and another seven against Grinnell.

SEDGWICK DISHES OUT 1,500th ASSISTS VS DUBUQUE
Senior Sophie Sedgwick surpassed the 1,500-career assist milestone with 13 against Dubuque on Oct. 3.

AKINS EARNS INAGURAL VICTORY
Head Coach DeAnn Akins earned her first career victory at Wartburg with a 3-1 win over Transylvania University. After dropping the opening set, the Knights rallied with three straight set wins (25-16, 25-22, 26-24), overcoming a 24-20 deficit in the final frame to secure the match.
The Knights followed with a sweep of Olivet (25-16, 25-13, 25-16) before falling to an unbeaten Berry College (Ga.) squad in straight sets.

ALL-TIME SERIES VS. OPPONENTS
Coe College
 Wartburg and Coe's rivalry dates back to 1979 and spanning sixty matches. The Knights have fashioned a 44-15-1 record in the previous matchups, including eight of the last ten matches. The Pioneers and Knights last met in November of 2024, in which Wartburg recorded a 3-1 victory. The last time that Coe defeated Wartburg was 2023, with a 3-0 sweep.

9/20/17 – W, 3-2
10/10/18 – W, 3-0
10/16/19 – W, 3-1
2/23/20 – W, 3-0
10/16/21 – W, 3-2
11/6/21 – W, 3-2
10/12/22 – L, 0-3
09/29/23 – L, 0-3
10/05/24 – W, 3-2
11/14/24 – W, 3-1

Coe enters the matchup at 17-8 overall. Their last two matchups the Kohawks picked up a pair of American Rivers Conference victories against Buena Vista University (3-0) and Nebraska Wesleyan University (3-1).

Cornell College
 Wartburg and Cornell have faced each other 54 times, dating back to 1979. The Knights have fashioned a 35-18-1 record in the previous matchups, and six of the last ten. The Pioneers and Knights last met in September of 2023, in which Wartburg recorded a 3-0 victory. The last time that Cornell defeated Wartburg was 2022, with a 3-0 win.

9/16/17 – L, 1-3
10/17/17 – W, 3-2
9/21/18 – W, 3-1
10/3/18 – W, 3-1
10/2/19 – L, 2-3
11/2/19 – W, 3-1
2/20/20 – L, 2-3
11/12/21 – W, 3-1
09/17/22 – L, 0-3
09/30/23 – W, 3-0

Cornell enters the matchup at 15-10 overall. Their last two matchups the Rams picked up a pair of Midwest Conference victories against Illinois College (3-0) and Knox College (3-1).
 
KNIGHTS WELCOME 12 NEWCOMERS
Twelve of the 29 players on the 2025 roster are newcomers.

Gracie Hoskins (Urbana, Iowa/Center Point Urbana), Haedyn Rebelsky (Van Meter, Iowa/Van Meter), Ashlynn Hodges (Shenandoah, Iowa/Shenandoah), Brooklyn Biddle (Lowden, Iowa/Calamus-Wheatland), Addison Huffman (Manchester, Iowa/West Delaware), Zoey Breeding (Winterset, Iowa/Winterset), Neah Bunkers (Polk City, Iowa/North Polk), Ema Roberts (Ladora, Iowa/HLV), Abigale Merritt (Galena, Ill./Galena), Brooke Burgemeister (Belle Plaine, Minn./Belle Plaine), Dakota Poen (Norwalk, Iowa/Norwalk), and Callie Welsch (Winterset, Iowa/Winterset).
 
AKINS MAKES COACHING DEBUT
This season marks the debut season for Head Coach DeAnn Akins, with longtime head coach Jennifer Walker transitioning into her 28th year as an assistant coach.
Akins joins the Wartburg coaching staff from Coe College where she has led that program since 2006. Over her tenure at Coe, Akins won five A-R-C regular season championships and three A-R-C tournament titles. Akins earned four trips to the NCAA Tournament, with 388 career victories over her 19 seasons at the helm. Sixty All-ARC performers, 12 All-Americans, and three offensive conference MVPs were produced under Akins. On top of her athletes' success on the court, Akins has taken home A-R-C Coach of the Year honors five times.
Prior to Coe, Akins spent the 2005 season as the director of volleyball operations at the University of Iowa, which followed some time as head coach of Kirkwood Community College.
Akins is a native of Waverly, Iowa, as she worked as an assistant coach at Wartburg during the 2002 season.
In her inaugural season leading the Wartburg Volleyball program, Akins stated that "This is home, it just feels right. I've had a lot of great memories here at Wartburg as a child.", said at the 2025 Fall Sports Media Day on Tuesday, Aug. 26.
 
 
TABBED THIRD IN A-R-C PRESEASON COACHES' POLL
Wartburg was picked third in the A-R-C preseason poll, earning one first-place vote.
 
A-R-C Preseason Coaches' Poll (Aug. 21)
Place    Team (First-place votes)    Points

1.                      Coe (6)                     62

2.            Univ. of Dubuque (2)          53

T-3.        Nebraska Wesleyan            45

T-3.               Wartburg (1)                 45

5.                    Central                        41

6.                     Loras                          28

7.                   Simpson                       26

8.                Buena Vista                    15

9.                    Luther                          9