Offensive balance leads Volleyball to pair of sweeps at IIAC/NACC Tournament

MILWAUKEE – Concordia University Wisconsin swept both of its opponents on Saturday at the IIAC/NACC Tournament, hosted by hosted by Wisconsin Lutheran College. The Falcons blanked Simpson College, 3-0 (27-25, 25-21, 25-11), before sweeping the University of Dubuque, 3-0 (25-20, 25-16, 25-20).

The Falcons are now 6-2 in the two-year history of the IIAC/NACC Tournament.

A balanced and efficient offensive attack allowed CUW to push its winning streak to three-consecutive, all of which have been 3-0 victories. Senior Britta Duchow (Potter, Wis.) had 18 kills and was one of four players to record double-figure kills.

Sophomore Karina Klotz (Hubertus, Wis.) directed the offense to the tune of 37 assists, while freshman Ashley Jehlicka (Salem, Wis.) and senior Carley Valentine (De Pere, Wis.) combined for 30 assists. Three different Falcons recorded a pair of service aces.

Defensively, senior Erin Howard (Labadie, Mo.) led the team with 28 digs, while senior Hannah Griffiths (Antigo, Wis.) dug 25 attack attempts. Freshman Kaily Moegenburg (Plymouth, Wis.) had three total blocks and was one of eight players with a block or more.

As a team, CUW hit a noteworthy .227, served eight aces and had 8.0 total blocks. Their two opponents hit a dismal .078, served seven aces and recorded 6.0 total blocks.

CUW 3, SC 0

The Falcons opening match of the day was highlighted by their efficient offense, as they committed just 15 attack errors in the three-set sweep over the Storm.

Duchow led all players with 11 kills, while Jehlicka had nine kills and a .318 attack percentage. Klotz paced all players with 19 assists and four Falcons served an ace. Griffiths led three Falcons with double-figure digs with 18 of her own.

SC (8-7) was held to a .071 attack percentage in the opening set and a -.154 attack percentage in the third frame. They finished with 29 kills and 25 attack errors for a .035 attack percentage total.

Elisa Wildy led the Storm with six kills and Katie Kieffer posted 18 assists. Kieffer and Kira Klepel each had two service aces. Klepel led the team with 13 digs.

CUW 3, UD 0

The Falcons quickly showed they were the better team and ended with an impressive .246 attack percentage, while committing just 13 attack errors in the match. CUW hit over .300 in the second and third frame.

After winning the first set 25-20, head coach Janelle Gabrielsen-Katz began to rotate her lineup at a more frequent pace and played 14 players in the victory.

Griffiths led the Falcons with nine kills and eight players recorded at least two kills. Freshman Terese Zymanek and Moegenburg each impressed the energetic crowed with seven kills apiece. A trio of players had double-digit assists, with Klotz recording a team-high 18 helpers. Senior Carley Valentine came in off the bench and finished with 11 assists, seven digs and three kills, while making numerous plays.

Amanda Reetz led the Spartans with 10 kills, while Hannah Zieser had 24 assists. Reetz recorded 11 digs and a pair of her teammates had 10 digs each.

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CUW returns to Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference play on Tuesday with a 7 p.m. match at Lakeland College.