WAVERLY, IOWA – It was a long hard match for the Luther volleyball team as they fell on the road to Wartburg 3-1 (15-25, 24-26, 25-21, 30-32). Sarina Stortz had 22 kills along with a season high of seven blocks in the match. Kyah Olson-Sola led the defense with 22 digs. Luther is 6-14 overall and 1-4 in American Rivers Conference (A-R-C).
 
The overall match featured two very scrappy teams. After dropping the first set 25-15 Luther refocused. In the second set the Norse found their footing. A block by Sarina Stortz and Emma Kowalczyk kept Luther within striking distance at 17-18. Then the momentum shifted toward the Norse as they added two points off a Stortz kill and double block by Emily Hagen and Stortz for a slim one-point lead. Wartburg took back the lead at 24-22 but Luther rallied evading the Knights first set point. Then the Norse had another huge block from Zoe Verhey and Haley Gossman tying the set at 24. Wartburg finished off the set winning 26-24 to go up 2-0 in the match.
 
In the third set Luther was hitting .355 compared to Wartburg at .206. The Norse were in control the entire way from the very first point. Luther had a 17-12 lead at the halfway point as Wartburg inched closer. Then a kill by Emily Hagen gave the Norse set point. Which was followed by a double block from Hagen and Verhey. Luther led the set wire to wire in the 25-21 win to extend the match.
 
The final set was grueling for both sides. The Norse raced out to a 7-0 run maintaining their groove from the previous set. The Knights returned the favor with a six-point run taking the lead for first time in the set at 14-11. However, this set was far from over. Tied up at 24 all the teams exchanged points nine times. Lundvall tied the set at 29 with a kill and an error by the Knights gave Luther set point. The Knights answered with three back-to-back points to win the set 32-30 and take the match 3-1.

The Norse had 11 blocks as a team compared to the Knights 6. 
 
TOP NORSE

• Sarina Stortz had 22 kills while hitting .348 In the match. She also recorded a season high of seven blocks. She had five solo blocks and two block assists.
• Kyah Olson-Sola with 22 digs for a season high.
• Emma Kowalczyk had 37 assists.

 
UP NEXT
The Norse are headed down to Texas to play three matches. They kick off the trip against LeTourneau University at 2:30 p.m. followed by the University of Mary Hardin-Baylor at 5 p.m. on Saturday, October 14 in Belton, Texas.