Notables
-CSS never trailed in the BLC match
-CSS' 17th straight victory over Bethany
-Northwestern had a .418 hitting percentage, the highest by a CSS opponent since 2012
-Northwestern is ranked No. 12 in the AVCA Division III poll
MANKATO, Minn. (
csssaints.com) – The St. Scholastica volleyball team was on both ends of sweeps on Friday in an Upper Midwest Athletic Conference (UMAC) triangular, hosted by Bethany Lutheran College. The Saints swept the Vikings, but were swept by No. 12 University of Northwestern (Minn.).
CSS 3, Bethany Lutheran 0
The Saints began the day earning their first road win of the season with a sweep of the Vikings by scores of 25-22, 25-20 and 25-22.
CSS got off to a great start in the opening set taking a 6-1 lead. Later in the set, the Saints went on 6-0 run to extend the margin to 18-8. Bethany Lutheran battled back with seven straight points of its own to get within three and then got within 23-21 before the Saints called timeout. The Saints then got kills from
Brooke Schermann (Brooklyn Park, Minn./Totino-Grace HS) and
Christaia Houser (Esko, Minn./Homeschool) to take the set 25-22. Houser had five kills in the opening set.
The second set saw St. Scholastica pull away to lead 15-8, only to have Vikings quickly get back within one at 15-14. A
Madissen Burns (Watertown, Minn./Watertown-Mayer HS) kill extended the lead back to four and once again Houser ended the set with a block as CSS took a two set lead 25-20.
The Vikings hung with the Saints for much of the third set with CSS holding a slight edge. With the score at 23-22, the Saints got back-to-back kills from
Brooke Elvehjem (Mora, Minn./Mora HS) and
Emily Bounds (Hill City, Minn./Hill City HS) to end the match in three 25-22. Bounds had four kills in the fourth set.
Houser led the team with 11 kills.
Madissen Burns (Watertown, Minn./Watertown-Mayer HS) added 10 kills.
Espi Austvold (Spicer, Minn./New London-Spicer HS) added 35 assists and tied for the team lead with
Taylor Thompson (Buffalo, Minn./Buffalo HS) registering nine digs.
#12 Northwestern 3, CSS 0
The 12
th-ranked Eagles had a .418 hitting percentage for the match and won by scores of 25-14, 25-15, 25-12.
Northwestern never trailed and was never tied in the first two sets. CSS took its first lead in the third set, recording the first two points of the set. However, the Eagles scored the next four points and led the rest of the set to sweep the match.
Bounds had eight kills to lead the Saints.
Tatum Swanson (Carlton, Minn./Wrenshall HS) added five kills. Austvold had 12 assists and
Taylor Thompson (Buffalo, Minn./Buffalo HS) registered nine digs.
Up Next
The Saints (5-11, 3-3 UMAC) are back in action on Tuesday night when they go out of conference to face the College of Saint Benedict at 7 p.m.
