LA CROSSE, Wis. - Wisconsin Lutheran wrapped up
its 2010 regular season slate Saturday afternoon at the UW-La
Crosse Triangular, falling to Wartburg College 3-0, before coming
back to defeat the host Eagles 3-2 at Mitchell Hall.
In their first match of the afternoon, the Warriors were swept
by Wartburg College for the second time this season, 3-0. The
Knights won in three sets by scores of 25-16, 25-14 and 25-20.
Junior Rachel Johnson (Milwaukee, Wis./Wisconsin Lutheran) had
four kills and freshman Mariah Bukiewicz (Oak Creek, Wis./Oak
Creek) tallied nine assists offensively for WLC. Freshman Kayla
Ridgeman (Jefferson, Wis./Lakeside Lutheran) and Bukiewicz
collected 13 and 10 digs, respectively. Senior Erika Laete
(Spokane, Wash./Evergreen Lutheran) added four block assists.
Wisconsin Lutheran struggled on the attack, hitting just .032 for
the match.
Kamille Van Natta totaled a match-high 11 kills for Wartburg
(20-14). Ramey Sieck finished with 20 assists and Marissa Shinstine
contributed with 16 digs.
Wisconsin Lutheran's final match of the day featured a thrilling
3-2 come-from-behind victory over host UW-La Crosse. WLC won the
opening set 27-25, but fell in sets two and three, 25-18 and 25-15.
The Warriors evened the match with a 25-18 set four win and took
the match with a 15-4 triumph in the fifth decisive set.
Johnson and Laete led the way offensively with 14 and 11 kills,
respectively. Sophomore Brittanny Bahr (Caledonia, Wis./Shoreland
Lutheran) and Bukiewicz collected 26 and 19 assists apiece. Bahr
also finished with 10 digs for a double-double. Ridgeman amassed a
team-best 19 digs, while freshman Erin Greenfield (Wauwatosa,
Wis./Wisconsin Lutheran) and junior Jenna Neuberger (Muskego,
Wis./Wisconsin Lutheran) added 10 each.
Alexandra Bresser paced La Crosse (11-17) with 11 kills and Liz
Schlobohm passed out 35 assists. Melannie Tate tallied 31 digs
defensively.
The fifth-seeded Warriors (19-12, 8-4 NAC) will open Northern
Athletics Conference Tournament play Tuesday, November 2 with a
quarterfinal match against fourth-seeded Benedictine University
(22-9, 9-3 NAC) in Lisle, Ill. The match begins at 7 p.m. at the
Rice Center. BU defeated WLC 3-0 in its only meeting of the season
September 22 at the Recreation Complex. The winner will move on to
face the winner of eighth-seeded Maranatha Baptist Bible College
and top-seeded Concordia University Wisconsin in a semifinal match
Thursday, November 4 at 7 p.m. All matches are played at the site
of the tournament's highest remaining seed.
