MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. – In the Augsburg Triangular the Luther volleyball team went 1-1 against St. Scholastica and Augsburg. The Norse took care of the Saints in straight sets for their third sweep in a row (25-20, 27-25, 26-24). Then Augsburg defeated Luther 3-0 (25-20, 25-17, 25-15). The Norse are 5-9 overall.
Match #1: Luther 3, St. Scholastica 0
Luther extended their win streak to three with their third sweep in a row. The Norse opened the match with a 6-0 run before the Saints got their first points. Luther kept the press on extending the lead to 18-9 with a kill from
Julianne Lundvall. Midway through the set St. Scholastica came within four points at 19-15. The Norse never let go of the lead taking the set 25-20 after a kill from
Zoe Verhey.
Late in set two the Norse were one point away from set point but the Saints evaded two set points. With the set tied at 25 the two teams battled on. Luther got a free point off of a service error by St. Scholastica then
Teagan Hansen ended the set with a service ace at 27-25.
The hitting for both teams was off the charts in the third set. It was tight going into the halfway point of the set but the Norse were holding onto the lead. The Saints pulled ahead at 22-20. Luther rallied back to match point off of four points on successful kills at 24-23. St. Scholastica would get one last point in the match before
Sarina Stortz and
Emma Kowalczyk kills ended it all at 26-24.
Haley Gossman led the hitters with 10 kills.
Sarina Stortz had nine kills with six blocks. Kowalczyk had 30 assists along with three blocks. Defensivley,
Kyah Olson-Sola had nine digs.
Match #2: Luther 0, Augsburg 3
The Norse kept the pace with the Auggies in the opening set. The game started to break open midway through. Down 9-13 the Norse went on a run of six points after a double block by
Haley Gossman and
Sarina Stortz denied the Augsburg hitter. The run gave the Luther back the lead but Augsburg got right back in it. Later with the Auggies leading 23-19,
Emma Kowalczyk set
Zoe Verhey for the kill. Only down by three the Norse felt they were in reach but Augsburg closed out the set 25-20.
Luther used a mix of their offense to stay with Augsburg early in the second set with Gossman, Stortz, Hagen, Kowalczyk and Verhey. However, the Auggies used a five-point run to take a 21-15 lead. Augsburg took the second set 25-17.
The Norse had a big hole to dig themselves out of in the third set after a dominant start by the Auggies. Luther kept fighting even down at 24-12. The Norse held of three match points with a kill from Gossman, block by
Zoe Verhey and
Julianne Lundvall and an Augsburg attack error. The Auggies ended the match in three sets at 25-15.
QUOTE FROM COACH
"We saw so many great things today. But also have our list of things we need to fix before Coe on Wednesday. Ready to get back to work."
UP NEXT
The Norse host Coe College for the A-R-C home opener on Wednesday, September 27 at 6 pm in Regents Center.
