Balanced offensive attack leads Volleyball to NAC victory

Box Score: CUW 3, AC 1

MEQUON, Wis. - After dropping the opening set Concordia University Wisconsin's volleyball team regrouped and used a balanced offensive attack to earn a 3-1 (24-26, 25-22, 25-22, 25-22) Northern Athletics Conference victory over Alverno College on Friday night inside the R. John Buuck Field House.

The Falcons (3-16, 2-5 NAC) captured their first conference victory since the season opener over Lakeland College on Sept. 13. CUW also recorded its highest block total, 14, in a league match this season and the second highest total in a match this year.

Seniors Brittany Deinlein (New Berlin, Wis.) and Amanda Wilke (Oak Creek, Wis.) led the Falcons with 13 kills apiece, while Deinlein led all players with 21 digs. Junior Amanda Stahmann (Van Dyne, Wis.) recorded 12 kills of her own. Senior Amy Gray (Urbana, Ill.) dished the ball evenly as she total 24 assists and dug 10 attack attempts.

Defensively, Stahmann and freshman Gabrielle VanBeaver (Green Bay, Wis.) used their size in the middle and each recorded a match-high seven blocks. Sophomore Lauren Dumke (Wauwatosa, Wis.) also rejected four attack attempts.

Alverno was led by Morgan Stuckey and Linda Vang who each smashed 11 kills. Shelby Metzger finished with a match-best 32 assists, to go along with 11 digs and nine kills.

The opening frame saw nine scoring ties and three lead changes, but it was a kill by Chelsea Gulbronson that gave the Inferno a 24-24 tie. Alverno capitalized on a pair of CUW miscues to earn an opening frame 26-24 extra point win.

The Falcons had just enough offense in sets two, three and four to stave off the Inferno to earn the match win. CUW hit just .085 in the match compared to Alverno's .081 hitting percentage. Each team finished with 46 kills.

CUW returns to the hardwood on Wednesday, Oct. 12, for a 7 p.m. matchup against Dominican University in River Forest, Ill. The match is the first of a four-match road swing for the Falcons.