MILWAUKEE (WLCSports.com) - Wisconsin Lutheran College suffered a pair of 3-0 defeats against 10th-ranked UC Santa Cruz and Lakeland in a home-opening, non-conference triangular on Sunday at the Time of Grace Center.
The Warriors (3-5) dropped their first home match of the season to the 10th-ranked Banana Slugs (12-3) by scores of 25-18, 25-16, 25-7. WLC held a 10-9 lead in the opening set before UCSC rattled off six straight points to take the lead for good. With the score deadlocked at 11-11 in the second set, UC Santa Cruz scored eight in a row to pull away. The Banana Slugs jumped out to a 12-3 third-set lead and never looked back.
Wisconsin Lutheran hit -.048 in the match with 16 kills, 19 errors, and 62 total attacks. Freshman
Marcus Fitzsimmons (Muskego, Wis.) led the Warriors with six kills and sophomore
Jay Thammavongsa (Franklin, Wis.) had 10 assists. Defensively, freshman
Drew Wempner (West Allis, Wis.) collected four total blocks and freshman
Trevor Salutric (Lockport, Ill.) recorded four digs.
Leo Tuncer posted a match-high 16 kills for UCSC, which hit .292 in the match behind 36 kills, 15 errors, and 72 attacks.
The Warriors fell in their second match to the Muskies (4-6) by scores of 25-21, 25-23, 25-20. WLC wasn't able to grab a lead in the first set despite four ties. Wisconsin Lutheran led for most of the second set, including 23-20, before LU scored the final five points. The Warriors never led in the third set, trailing by as many as seven before cutting the deficit to three late.
WLC hit .185 with 24 kills, 12 errors, and 65 attempts in the nightcap.
Drew Wempner led the way with nine kills and three service aces, while Thammavongsa and sophomore
James Biedenbender (La Crosse, Wis.) had 11 and 10 assists, respectively. Biedenbender also tallied a team-high nine digs and junior
Grant Wempner (Garden Grove, Calif.) had three block assists.
For Lakeland, Ben Busalacchi had 13 kills, six digs, and five service aces to lead his team. The Muskies hit .228 with 31 kills, 13 errors, and 79 attempts.
Wisconsin Lutheran travels to Bloomington, Illinois next weekend for four matches at the IWU Invitational. The Warriors start competition Friday against Maranatha Baptist (0-11) and Wabash (2-5). Live coverage links will be available at WLCSports.com.
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