Stella Anderson Moye-

The Gustavus Volleyball Team continued their reign of dominance, hitting the highway this past Saturday to head up to Saint Benedict. The Bennies had just picked up a couple of wins in their recent matches and confidence was high; however, the Gusties swiftly took the wind out of their sails. An expertly played game gave way to a 3-1 win for the Gusties, proving nothing can slow down the team’s dominance, not even a few hours on the road. Gustavus furthered their record to 17-9, bringing their MIAC conference to 8-0.

Gustavus Volleyball took to the Claire Lynch hall with gusto. In the first set, they crushed the first serve to take an early lead of 3-0. The teams battled back and forth for a few points until a breakaway streak from Gustavus led the team to 9-3, thanks to 3 straight kills from First-year Macie Malchow and Sophomore Sophia Deyak. The Gusties continued with the strong energy they initially brought to the court, maintaining the lead throughout the set. Seemingly unstoppable, the team pulled as far ahead as an 8-point advantage. The Bennies were not willing to give in so easily, scoring 4 points in a row in an attempt to reel in the Gusties. The attempt, however, was fruitless. In the final stretch of the game, Gustavus closed out the set 25-15 with a 5-1 run, aided by two kills from Junior Leah Berg.

As the second set began, Saint Benedict bounced back, determined to not go down without a fight. They opened with a scoring serve. Gustavus rose quickly but trailed the score of the Bennies until they tied up 5-5. After the tie, Gustavus reclaimed the lead. Saint Benedict stayed in hot pursuit, staying within 3 points of the Gusties for the majority of the game. The Bennies tied the game up at 21-21, tensions high as both teams looked to win the set. Gustavus snatched 2 kills and benefitted from an attack error to cinch the win 25-22, setting the team up with a 2-0 lead.

The third set was filled with fire from both teams. Gustavus rode on their previous wins, opening the set with a 3-0 lead initially. Saint Benedict was seemingly revitalized by their losses in the previous sets; they went on a consecutive 9-point streak to command the game 9-3. Gustavus responded with resilience, ripping a 7-3 streak of their own. Gustavus called some substitutions and time-outs, but ultimately Saint Benedict was playing for vengeance and won the set 25-14. This win marked the first conference set loss for the Gusties in 385 days.

There’s a reason why the Gustavus team had gone undefeated for so long, and they showcased it in the 4th set. Rattling out 6 consecutive points to begin established a strong lead for the Gusties. The Bennies meekly battled back, gaining 4 points, but still falling 2 points short of the Gustavus lead. Gustavus did not look back, storming on with an additional 5-point streak. The rest of the game was speckled with a few random points from Saint Benedict, and many consecutive points from your Gusties. Gustavus ran the score up and kept the high energy all the way through to finish the 4th set 25-14. With that decisive finish, the Gusties took the victory for the game against St Benedict, maintaining their undefeated conference record.

Volleyball is undoubtedly a team sport and the women work together cohesively to create electric chemistry on and off the court. All members showed grit and determination throughout the game. Fifth-year Kasie Tweet had a particularly excellent game. Following Tweet’s performance, she earned her second consecutive MIAC Athlete of the Week honor, making it her third of the season. Tweet stood out with 2 aces, 14 digs, and an astounding 37 assists. Junior Leah Berg also had an incredible performance in the Saint Benedict game with 13 kills.

The Gustavus Volleyball Team will play again on Friday the 1st and Saturday the 2nd of November. On Friday, they will host Augsburg on the Gustavus court, then follow up with a trip to play Bethel on Saturday. Bethel also remains undefeated in the conference, making it a game sure to be filled with a competitive atmosphere. Good luck, Gusties!