Staff Writer- Katie Thomas
This past weekend, the Gustavus Women’s Volleyball team had a doubleheader. They traveled to Cedar Rapids, Iowa, playing Cornell College in their first match and following up with Coe College in the second match. These two hard-fought victories not only added to their growing momentum but also extended their winning streak to an impressive 10-1 record. Their performance this weekend was a testament to the team’s strong drive, teamwork, and determination for success, no matter the opponent.
In one of their weekend matches, Gustavus was matched up against Cornell College. The Rams and the Gusties quickly set the tone for an exciting doubleheader weekend. At 11 am, both teams lined up to start the doubleheader weekend. During the first set, Gustavus came out strong, winning 25-17. However, Cornell wasn’t going down without a fight. The Gusties kept the score close in the sound set but fell to Cornell in an ending score of 25-23. Despite this setback, the Gusties kept their focus and adapted quickly. The third set was very similar to the first and ended up with the same score, 25-17, in a Gustie win. Maintaining a high level of play, in the fourth and final set, Gustavus clinched the set win 25-21 in a close-fought battle. Winning 3 out of the four sets, Gustavus took the match win, adding on another win to their season total of 9. During this match, many Gusties played hard and helped their team succeed in the match. Sophomore outside hitter Logan Brent contributed to the gutsy win with 18 kills. Senior outside hitter Leah Berg followed up with 13 kills, putting her team in a great spot to win the match.
The match of the weekend was very similar to match one. Gustavus played Coe College at 1:30 on Saturday, the 13th. Even though the Gusties had just played a hard-fought game, they came out strong, taking the first set with a 25-19 opening set victory. Just like Cornell, Coe answered the gusties in the second match. They made some adjustments and fought back, making the Gusties lose set two.
Gustavus fought hard again, keeping a close score, but ended with Coe winning 25-22. Set three was winning by 11 points in an ending score of 25-14. The fourth and final set was closer in score, but nonetheless Gustavus took the win in a 25-20 ending score, winning their second and final match of the weekend. Berg again really showcased her abilities and led her team with a total of 12 kills. Junior middle hitter Sophia Deyak followed up Berg with a total of 11 kills. Sophomore setter Macie Malchow and First-year middle hitter Greta Tompkins both had three aces, making it an easy match for Coe College.
Malchow also had 49 assists for an average of 12.25. Both offensive and defensive efforts were shown by all players and contributed to the Gustie win.
Another successful weekend for the Gustavus volleyball team, where all players showcased their amazing abilities and fought till the end of the game. Their energy and determination in the Kohawk arena this weekend were intense and rewarded them with two wins. Malchow, who was named the MIAC volleyball specialist of the week. She averaged 8.36 assists per set with a total of 117 assists in their last four wins. The Gusties next go to the Carleton/St. Olaf invitational on September 19th, where they play Dubuque, Wartberg, and UW-Whitewater. Good luck and go Gusties!