Women’s Volleyball Sweeps Eau Claire on Saturday

EAU CLAIRE, Wis. – The Concordia Wisconsin women's volleyball team competed at the Wisconsin-Eau Claire Sandy Schumacher Memorial Tournament on Saturday and faced Concordia Moorhead and the host Blugolds of Wisconsin-Eau Claire. The Cobbers picked up a 3-2 victory to open the day, but the Falcons closed the day with the second-straight 3-0 sweep over Eau Claire to move to 4-6 the season.

The Cobbers rallied to take the opener on Saturday, 21-25, 25-22, 20-25, 25-23, 15-10.

The Falcons pushed the lead up to 14-7 in the first set with a service ace from sophomore Izzy Sternig (West Bend, Wis.). Sophomore Mickenzi Benter (De Pere, Wis.) finished the set with a kill at 25-21.

The serve of Mickenzi Benter gave the Cobbers problems in the second set at pushed the lead to 11-2. The Maroon and Gold then flipped the script and tied the set at 21 and took the set, 25-22.

In the third set, it was the Falcons taking a late surge. The blue and White used a 12-2 run to extend the lead to 24-15.

The Cobbers claimed a late in the third set at 19-14 before the Falcons stormed back to tie the set at 22. Moorhead won the final two points of the set to stay alive and force the fifth set.

Moorhead took an early lead in the fifth set and never let CUW get closer than two points.

Senior Maycee Karpfinger (Wauwatosa, Wis.) led the match with 18 kills. And led the Falcons with 18 digs.

Mickenzi Benter led CUW with 28 assists with Izzy Sternig with 22 assists.

Sophomore Stella Zarling (West Bend, Wis.) and Mickenzi Benter both landed three service aces each. The Falcons also had nine blocks with Mickenzi Benter, sophomore Noelle Smith (Davenport, Iowa) and sophomore Ashley Habermehl (Brookfield, Wis.) with four each. Habermehl also finished with a career-high 15 kills.

The Falcons closed the day with a 25-16, 27-25, 25-21 victory over Wisconsin-Eau Claire.

The Blue and White took an early lead in the first set and never looked back. CUW ballooned the lead up to nine points on three occasions and then claimed the set at 25-16 with an attack error.

The two teams fought back and forth in the second set with neither team able to grow a lead bigger than two points. The Falcons were able to take advantage of the UWEC errors and claimed the set at 27-25.

The Falcons leveraged some separation in the middle of the third set and were able to hold onto the lead and claim the set at 25-21 with a kill from Stella Zarling.

Maycee Karpfinger once again led the match with 11 kills and also added three assists, three service aces, five digs and two blocks to fill the stat sheet.

Stella Zarling followed behind with 10 kills, four digs and one assist.

Mickenzi Benter fed the offense with 28 assists and also added three service aces.

Junior Brenna Bieniek (Shakopee, Minn.) and Noelle Smith brought home three blocks.

Junior Emma Essex (Hoffman Estates, Ill.) was a force on the back line with 10 digs and a service ace.

The Falcons look to extend their winning streak on Wednesday when they return to Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference (NACC) play against Lakeland.