BLOOMINGTON, Ill. (WLCSports.com) - Wisconsin Lutheran College collected its first set win of the season, but dropped a pair of matches to host Illinois Wesleyan and Wabash at the IWU Invitational on Friday at the Shirk Center.
The Warriors (0-5) were topped in their opening match by the host Titans (6-2) in four sets by scores of 25-17, 25-27, 25-21, 25-12. WLC, which held a lead in each of the first three sets, overcame a 21-15 deficit in the second set to claim the come-from-behind victory. A pair of kills from sophomore
Connor Haeuser (West Bend, Wis.) and a block from senior
Grant Wempner (Garden Grove, Calif.) accounted for the final points for WLC, which hit a team-high .200 in the second set.
Haeuser, who set a career high, and junior
James Biedenbender (La Crosse, Wis.) collected seven kills apiece for Wisconsin Lutheran, which hit .010 behind 26 kills, 25 errors, and 101 attempts. Junior
Jay Thammavongsa (Franklin, Wis.) dished out 15 assists, and freshman
Sean Kane (Tinley Park, Ill.) served up three aces.
Grant Wempner defended the net with three solo blocks and three block assists. Sophomore
Trevor Salutric (Lockport, Ill.) recorded a match-high 12 digs.
Luke Hartke tallied a match-high 12 kills for IWU, which hit .202 on 46 kills, 25 errors, and 104 attempts.
The Warriors were defeated by the Little Giants (6-1) in the nightcap by scores of 25-11, 25-10, 26-24. WLC held an 18-17 lead in a third set which featured 17 ties and six lead changes, but WC broke from a 24-24 tie with the final two match points.
Haeuser led Wisconsin Lutheran with five kills and six digs, while Thammavongsa had eight assists.
Grant Wempner and sophomore
Drew Wempner (West Allis, Wis.) had a solo block and block assist each. The Warriors were held to -.093 hitting with 17 kills, 24 errors, and 75 attempts.
Patrick Volk had eight kills and seven digs, both match highs, for Wabash, which hit .386 on 34 kills, seven errors, and 70 attempts.
WLC wraps up play at the IWU Invitational tomorrow with two matches against Adrian (5-6) and Edgewood (1-6) at 12 p.m. and 2 p.m., respectively. Live coverage links will be available at WLCSports.com.
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