Notables:
-CSS fought off seven match points
-Most points scored in a fifth set in program history
-Final non-conference match of the season
-Hit Percentage: CSS-.153, HU-.219
ST. PAUL, Minn. (
csssaints.com) -- The St. Scholastica volleyball team beat out Hamline University Tuesday night, rallying from a set down to win in five sets.
The Action
In the first set, Hamline was the first on the board because of an attack error by the Saints. The Pipers would lead by as much as seven, when they lead 15-8. St. Scholastica would win 10 of the next 11 points, pulling ahead 18-16. The Pipers and Saints would go back and forth until the score was 19-18. Here, the Saints pulled away until the score was 24-19. A kill from
Madissen Burns (Watertown, Minn./Watertown-Mayer HS), assisted by
Espi Austvold (Spicer, Minn./New London-Spicer HS), solidified the first set score at 25-20 in favor of the Saints.
In the second set, the Pipers won the first point. A kill from
Brooke Elvehjem (Mora, Minn./Mora HS) and a service ace put the Saints up 2-1. HU got a kill to tie up the set and started to pull away with the lead. CSS struggled to keep up, but were at most eight points away from the Pipers when the score was 21-13. The Saints almost caught up closing the point deficit to three before a kill by the Pipers ended the set 25-21 in Hamline's favor.
To start the third set, a kill by
Christaia Houser (Esko, Minn./Homeschool) put the Saints on the board first 1-1. The Saints and the Pipers began going back and forth, but Hamline would pull away at 8-7 after they broke the sixth tie of the set. St. Scholastica was losing 21-12 when it took a timeout. This timeout definitely helped them focus. CSS would win eight out of the 10 next points, putting the score at 23-20 before Hamline would take a timeout of its own. This timeout was in Hamline's favor. As play resumed, the Pipers won the final two points they needed. The set score was 25-20. This put Hamline in the lead with two sets to St. Scholastica's one.
In the fourth set, St. Scholastica won the first point. A similar, close struggle to the constant ties occurred again, until CSS won seven points in a row. With the score at 16-11, Hamline took a timeout to regroup. As play resumed, they won three points, putting them up 16-14. But, the Saints quickly gained their momentum back, winning three points to be up 19-14. Hamline again won three points, now only behind by two at 20-18. CSS soon ran away with the lead again at 24-18. However, Hamline soon gained some strength, scoring two points in a row to be only behind by four. The Saints took another timeout, and a kill by
Brooke Schermann (Brooklyn Park, Minn./Totino-Grace HS) solidified the set win at 25-20. Scholastica and Hamline were now tied with two sets each, pushing the game into a fifth and final set.
In the fifth set, Hamline gained the first point after a bad set from the Saints. Hamline began pulling away with the lead at 6-3, before St. Scholastica called the first of four timeouts this set. The Saints rebounded to tie up the set 7-7, but the Pipers took a timeout to regroup.
As the Pipers began to pull away with the lead at 11-8, Scholastica took another timeout. They, once again, started to gain strength, but Hamline took a timeout to shut them down before they took the lead again. The Pipers led 14-11, which meant they had three chances to take the match. Kills by Schermann and Burns sandwiched a Hamline error and the set was tied at 14-14.
The two teams scored alternatively the next seven points to make the score 18-17 in favor of Hamline. Two kills by Houser put the Saints up 19-18, but Hamline scored on their own kill, tying up the set 19-19. For the next two rallies, the two teams fought hard, but back-to-back kills by Elvehjem and Schermann put the Saints up 21-19 giving them the set win and the match win.
Notable Performances
Burns recorded a season-high 16 kills. Houser also added 16 kills. Schermann contributed 15 kills. Austvold had a career-high 58 assists and
McKenzie Orr (Rice Lake, Wis./Rice Lake HS) had a career-high 39 digs.
Up Next
The Saints (10-17) host conference rival Bethany Lutheran College and the University of Wisconsin-River Falls at the Reif Gym in Duluth Saturday in a triangular. Match time is scheduled for 1 p.m. against Bethany Lutheran and 5 p.m. against UW-River Falls.
