Women’s Volleyball Prevails Over Marian

MEQUON, Wis. – The Concordia Wisconsin women's volleyball team picked up the five-set road victory over the Sabres of Marian, 25-27, 25-15, 25-20, 21-25, 15-10. The win propels the Falcons' record to over .500, standing at 8-7 overall and 3-0 in NACC play. With the victory, CUW's road record improved to 4-1. 

The first set saw the Falcons establish an early and reach the double-digit mark first courtesy of a block from junior Brenna Bieniek (Shakopee, Minn.) and sophomore Noelle Smith (Davenport, Iowa) to give CUW the 10-6 lead. Later in the frame, the Falcons secured the 15-7 advantage following a block from senior Maycee Karpfinger (Wauwatosa, Wis.) and a Sabre attacking error. CUW held its comfortable lead following a kill from sophomore Mickenzi Benter (De Pere, Wis.), assisted by junior Emma Essex (Hoffman Estates, Wis.) to give CUW the 18-11 lead. Determined to stage a comeback, the Sabres found their groove late into the set and took their first lead of the night, 25-24. But a CUW timeout would ice the Marian serve, leveling the score at 25. But the Sabres would claim two straight points to snag the first set 27-25.

Neither team established a sizeable lead in the second set's early stages. A kill from sophomore Noelle Smith (Davenport, Iowa) and a powerful swing from fellow sophomore Stella Zarling (West Bend, Wis.) provided CUW the narrow 9-6 lead. With the Blue and White leading 12-8, the Falcons went on a 5-0 surge to extend their lead to 17-8, capped off by a kill by sophomore Ashley Habermehl (Brookfield, Wis.) from Mickenzi Benter. Once again, it was the Falcons to eclipse the 20-point mark, as they took the 20-13 advantage following a kill from Maycee Karpfinger. CUW then tacked on two straight points to solidify a nine-point lead after a kill from Stella Zarling and a block by the duo of Noelle Smith and Brenna Bieniek. The second set was ultimately put away by sophomore Jaydin Vosters (Neenah, Wis.) with a 25-15 victory, leveling the match at one set each.

Before either team reached the 15-point mark in the third set, there were nine ties and five lead changes. After a kill from Stella Zarling, the Falcons found themselves up 18-15, prompting Marian to call a timeout. CUW blocked two straight Sabre kill attempts out of the timeout as Noelle Smith teamed up with Brenna Bieniek on the first block and Stella Zarling on the second to push CUW's lead to 20-15. Ultimately, the Falcons reached the 25-point summit first as Mickenzi Benter connected with Stella Zarling to seal the third set, 25-20, to take the 2-1 advantage.

The fourth set was a back-and-forth affair, as Marian secured the 22-18 lead after several ties and lead changes. The Falcons' comeback fell short, as the Sabres took the fourth set 25-21, triggering the decisive fifth set. 

Concordia jumped to a quick 3-0 lead in the fifth set courtesy of a pair of kills from Maycee Karpfinger and a Marian error. But the Sabres would stage a 6-3 run to tie the game six. Another Karpfinger kill, and a service ace by sophomore Abby Proefrock (Grafton, Wis.) would break the tie and give CUW the 8-6 lead. Two Marian errors helped CUW claim the 10-6 advantage. Following a Marian timeout, Noelle Smith put away another kill, and Abby Proefrock had her second ace of the frame to give CUW the 12-6 lead. Two errors put the Falcons one point away from clinching the match. A swing from Stella Zarling on a pass from Mickenzi Benter gave the Falcons the thrilling 15-10 fifth-set win.

In the win, Stella Zarling recorded a game-high 18 kills. Defensively, the match saw Brenna Bieniek record a team-high four blocks. Abby Proefrock had 18 digs, while sophomore Brianna Lundt (Rosendale, Wis.) added 14 digs.

Maycee Karpfinger and Mickenzi Benter had double-doubles as Karpfinger had 15 kills and 13 digs, while Benter totaled a team-high 45 assists and 13 digs. 

Emma Essex and Abby Proefrock also had two aces. 

The Falcons will aim to maintain their unbeaten conference record on Saturday, Oct. 1, when they face off against the Scarlet Hawks of Illinois Tech at Keating Sports Center.