Muskies Outlast Warriors In Five Sets

PLYMOUTH, Wis. (WLCSports.com) - Wisconsin Lutheran College dropped a five-set Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference match to Lakeland, 3-2, on Saturday at Woltzen Gymnasium.

The Warriors (2-12, 0-4 NACC), who tallied a season-high 11 service aces, suffered their first five-set setback of the season to the Muskies (4-9, 1-2 NACC) by scores of 25-22, 23-25, 25-19, 23-25, 15-7. 

A back-and-forth first set featured 11 ties and five lead changes, as LU held a 14-11 advantage only to see WLC come back for a 20-18 lead. Lakeland netted the next three points and broke away from a 22-22 tie with the final three points of the opening set.

Wisconsin Lutheran trailed 9-5 in the second set but turned the tables to take a 20-14 lead, its largest of the set. The Muskies came within a point twice late, but the Warriors held on for the two-point victory.

LU erased an early 2-0 deficit to take a 13-7 third-set lead, only to have WLC come back with six straight points to even the set at 13-13. Lakeland responded with an 8-2 scoring run and never relinquished its lead for the six-point victory.

Wisconsin Lutheran turned an early 5-3 deficit into a 6-5 advantage that it would never surrender in the fourth set. The Warriors led by as many as five points at 23-18 following a kill from sophomore Drew Wempner (West Allis, Wis.). The Muskies closed within one late at 24-23, but a service error sent the match to a decisive fifth set.

LU broke a 4-4 tie in the fifth set with four straight points for an 8-4 advantage. WLC closed within two points at 8-6, but Lakeland finished the final set on a 7-1 run to take the match in five.

Junior James Biedenbender (La Crosse, Wis.) tallied a team-high eight kills along with three service aces for Wisconsin Lutheran, which hit .045 on 35 kills, 29 errors, and 133 attempts. Senior Chris Mann (Laveen, Ariz.) collected seven kills. Junior Jay Thammavongsa (Franklin, Wis.) and senior Isaac Stellick (Rising City, Neb.) totaled 18 and 10 assists, respectively. Drew Wempner tied a career-high with four service aces, five total blocks, and a career-high seven digs. Sophomore Trevor Salutric (Lockport, Ill.) also added seven digs.

Ben Busalacchi led the Muskies with 24 kills, Chase Anderson had 43 assists, and Levi Everts collected 17 digs. LU hit .143 with 53 kills, 33 errors, and 140 attempts. 

The Warriors next host Maranatha Baptist (0-20) on Tuesday at 7 p.m. for Senior Night at the Time of Grace Center. Live coverage links can be found at WLCSports.com.