WAVERLY, Iowa -- The Wartburg College volleyball team swept Grinnell College 3-0 Tuesday evening at Levick Arena, extending its season-long sweep streak to six consecutive matches.
The Knights (9-5 overall) hit .368 as a team with 51 kills while limiting the Pioneers (3-6) to a .130 hitting percentage. Wartburg also extended its winning streak against Grinnell to 12 matches and improved to 25-1 all-time against the Pioneers.
HOW IT HAPPENED
Wartburg overcame an early Grinnell point in the opening set by scoring four of the next five rallies to take a 5-1 lead.
Ema Roberts,
Anna Sash and
Ashlynn Hodges each recorded kills during the early run.
The Knights continued to build their advantage, using a 7-1 run to move from 14-8 to 21-9. Sash accounted for five kills during the stretch and teamed with
Emma Liechti for a block before Liechti capped the run with a kill. Grinnell answered with four consecutive points, but
Kruiz Ewoldt stopped the run with a kill before
Aspen Falk added a service ace. Ewoldt then closed the set with a kill, giving Wartburg a 25-15 victory.
Wartburg carried the momentum into the second set, opening with a 3-0 advantage behind two
Peyton Robinson service aces. The Knights stretched the margin to 7-1 before a six-point run pushed the lead to 13-2.
Kaylee Koudelka accounted for four kills during the run, while
Gracie Hoskins added a service ace and Hodges contributed another kill. Koudelka finished the set with a season-best .600 hitting percentage.
The Knights maintained control throughout the remainder of the set, building a 20-6 advantage before Grinnell scored four straight. Wartburg responded with a Grinnell service error and a block from
Leah Hayungs and Liechti. Hayungs then recorded back-to-back kills before another Pioneer attack error gave the Knights a 25-11 set victory.
Grinnell took an early 5-4 lead in the third set before Wartburg answered by winning seven of the next eight rallies. Hodges recorded three kills during the stretch, while
Emily Naughton added two to put the Knights ahead 11-6.
The Pioneers cut the deficit to 12-9, but Wartburg responded with four consecutive points while Buhman served, including kills from Ewoldt and Sash. Naughton added consecutive kills later in the set as the Knights extended their lead to 22-12.
Ewoldt reached set point with a kill before
McKenzie Becker recorded her first kill of the season to close out the 25-14 victory and complete the sweep.
INSIDE THE NUMBERS
Sash led the Knights with 12 kills while hitting .632 and added two blocks and a service ace. Hodges recorded 10 kills, five digs and a block, marking her fourth consecutive match with at least 10 kills.
Buhman finished with 37 assists, 10 digs, two kills and an ace, while Robinson collected a team-high 18 digs along with six assists and two service aces.
Up Next
The Knights return to action Saturday, Sept. 26, hosting Saint Mary's University (Minn.) at 10 a.m. at Levick Arena.
