LA CROSSE, Wis. — Luther College (3-9, 0-0 American Rivers) faced two opponents on Saturday at the UW-La Crosse Invitational, falling to the College of St. Scholastica (5-3, 0-0 MIAC) in four sets, 25-7, 25-27, 25-16, 25-20, and St. Norbert College (8-3, 0-0 NACC) in another four-set match, with scores of 21-25, 25-21, 25-23, 25-18.
Game 1: Luther 1, St. Scholastica 3
It was the second meeting between the two teams this season. The Saints dominated the first set, winning decisively 25-7. However, Luther showed resilience in the second set, with
Azaria McDonough facilitating multiple scoring plays. Despite a late comeback from the Saints, which tied the score at 24-24, Luther clinched the set 27-25 thanks to kills from
Liv Glumack and
Julianne Lundvall.
The third set saw the Saints take an early lead, but Luther fought back, with McDonough assisting on crucial plays, including a tying score at 5-4. Despite notable efforts, including a service ace from
Natalie Crandall and a kill from
Joelle Halverson, the Saints closed out the set 25-16.
In the fourth set, the Saints regained momentum, driven by Mikala Peterson's leading to a 10-7 advantage. Although Luther managed to tie the score at 12-12 with a kill from
Lindsay Hanson, the Saints ultimately secured the match with a 25-20 win.
Hanson,
Liv Glumack and
Julianne Lundvall had seven kills. McDonough had 26 assists and Gomez tallied 24 digs.
Game 2: Luther 1, St. Norbert 3
Later in the afternoon against St. Norbert, Luther aimed to bounce back, starting with strong contributions from
Annika Franzen and McDonough in the first set. Franzen's kill, assisted by McDonough, helped Luther maintain a narrow lead, and a pair of service aces from
Victoria Gomez sealed the first set at 25-21.
During the second set Luther trailed 11-7, but the team rallied, tying the score at 20-20 thanks to strong defensive plays. Nevertheless, the Green Knights surged ahead to win the set 25-21.
The third set was closely contested, with both teams exchanging points. St. Norbert ultimately edged ahead to take the set 25-23, efforts from Hanson and Crandall.
In the fourth set, Luther battled back with kills from Franzen and Hanson, narrowing the gap to 22-16. However, the Green Knights went on to win the set 25-18, concluding the match. Franzen led the way with 14 kills for a season high. McDonough was two assists shy of her season best with 30.
The Green Knights hit .319 in the match compared to .225 by the Norse.
On Saturday, Sept. 20 Luther will start the day at Bethany Lutheran College at 12 p.m. in Mankato, Minn. followed by a trip to Martin Luther College at 4 p.m. in New Ulm, Minn.
