WAVERLY, Iowa -- The Wartburg College volleyball team (15-8, 2-1 American Rivers) rallied from a two-set deficit to force a fifth set before its comeback came up just short in a 3-2 loss to the University of Wisconsin-Stout Blue Devils (14-8, 1-3 WIAC) on Tuesday at Levick Arena.
The Knights claimed the third and fourth sets to even the match before Wis.-Stout secured the fifth set. Set scores were 22-25, 21-25, 25-22, 25-22, 10-15.
HOW IT HAPPENED
Wartburg jumped out to a 6-2 lead in the opening set behind kills from
Anna Sash,
Kaylee Koudelka and
Keely Kauten, along with a service ace from
Gracie Hoskins. Wis.-Stout responded with a five-point run on Lainey Todd's serve to take a 12-8 advantage and later extended its lead to 18-12. The Knights chipped away with kills from
Ashlynn Hodges, Kauten and Koudelka before back-to-back service aces from
Alexa Buhman pulled Wartburg within 24-22. However, Brooke McCune's kill secured the opening set for the Blue Devils, 25-22.
The Knights gained momentum early in the second set, turning a 4-2 deficit into a 7-5 lead with a kill from
Lucy Maassen, a Buhman kill and two Wis.-Stout attack errors. After Kauten's kill gave Wartburg an 8-6 advantage, the Blue Devils tied the set at 8-8 before putting together a seven-point run to take a 16-9 lead. Wartburg worked its way back into the set behind kills from Sash, Maassen, Koudelka and Hodges. A Hoskins ace and another Hodges kill brought the Knights within 18-17, and Hodges later cut the deficit to one again at 22-21. Wis.-Stout, however, claimed the final three points to take the set 25-21 on a Kyra Giffen kill.
Wartburg answered in the third set, turning a 2-1 lead into a 9-2 advantage by winning seven of eight rallies behind points from Sash, Hodges, Koudelka and Kauten. The Blue Devils trimmed the margin to 11-8, but the Knights responded to build a 19-13 lead with a Sash kill, blocks involving Koudelka, Sash and Maassen, and a Wis.-Stout attack error. The Blue Devils made another push, pulling within 21-19 and later 23-21.
McKenzie Becker's kill put Wartburg at set point before a Sash block and a Wis.-Stout attack error sealed the 25-22 victory and kept the Knights in the match.
The Knights carried that momentum into the fourth set, opening with three consecutive points behind a Sash block, a Sash kill and a
Peyton Robinson service ace. Wis.-Stout closed within 6-5, but Wartburg responded after an 8-6 advantage with an
Alexa Melcher ace and kills from Becker and Maassen to stretch the lead to 11-6. The Blue Devils answered with three straight points to cut the deficit to 11-9, but kills from Becker, Hodges and Sash helped Wartburg regain control and build an 18-13 lead. A Hoskins ace and a block by Buhman and Becker pushed the Knights to 23-18. Wis.-Stout scored three consecutive points to make it 23-21, but Hodges recorded a kill to set up set point before Sash finished the 25-22 win on an assist from Buhman to force a deciding fifth set.
Wis.-Stout opened the fifth set with two points on a Stephanie Petrbok ace and a McCune kill. Wartburg stayed within reach with kills from Sash and Maassen, then answered a 6-3 deficit with three straight points to tie the set at 6-6. The Blue Devils responded with another three-point run to take a 9-6 lead, but kills from Koudelka and Maassen brought the Knights within 9-8. Becker added kills to keep Wartburg within one at 10-9 and two at 12-10. Wis.-Stout ultimately closed out the match with the final three points, securing the fifth set 15-10 on kills from Emma Barton and Hope Bushendorf.
UP NEXT
Wartburg returns to Levick Arena on Saturday, Oct. 24, hosting Buena Vista University for Senior Day beginning at Noon in Waverly, Iowa.
NOTES
Wartburg recorded a season-high 64 kills...Buhman recorded 56 assists, 10 digs and three service aces...Her 56 set assists were a season high...Buhman has reached the 750-set-assists milestone and now totals 802, and she has recorded 25 total blocks to reach the 25-block milestone... Sash finished with 10 kills, six total blocks and a team-high 15.0 points... Sash's six total blocks were above her season average of 3.09, and her four solo blocks exceeded her season average of 1.27... Sash has reached 202 total kills, surpassing the 200-kill milestone... Hodges led Wartburg with 13 kills and added 15 digs... Hodges' 15 digs were a career high... Melcher recorded a season-high 14 digs... Hoskins collected a team-high 17 digs and added three service aces...
