LISLE, Ill. (WLCSports.com) – Behind a record-tying performance from senior
Lydia Biggin (Burlington, Wis.), Wisconsin Lutheran College outlasted Benedictine 3–2 on Saturday at Dan and Ada Rice Center in its regular season finale. The thrilling five-set victory (23–25, 30-28, 25–27, 25–19, 15–9) marked the Warriors' second five-set win of the year and solidified their first Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference Tournament berth in five seasons.
Biggin delivered a career and program-tying 31 kills, matching the school single-match record while hitting .258 on 66 total attacks. WLC (12-15, 8-5 NACC) finished with a .185 team hitting percentage compared to the Eagles' (11-16, 6-7 NACC) .120.
In the opening set, Wisconsin Lutheran erased a five-point deficit behind a 7–0 serving run from freshman
Brooke Bartelt (West Bend, Wis.), but BenU rallied with five straight points late for a 25–23 win. The Warriors responded in the second with an early 6–2 lead and three service aces from Bartelt during a 6-0 run and 17-13 advantage. Following 10 ties and two lead changes, WLC scored three of the final four points to pull off the 30-28 extra-point victory that evened the match.
The third set was another back-and-forth battle that saw Biggin record seven kills, but Benedictine closed on a 3–0 run to fight off match point and win 27–25 and take a 2–1 match lead. Wisconsin Lutheran surged back in the fourth, hitting .214 and overcoming seven ties and three lead changes for a 25–19 win and force a decisive fifth.
The Warriors controlled most of the final frame, racing out to a 10–7 lead and closing on a 5–2 run capped by Biggin's six kills for the 15–9 match-clinching victory.
Biggin led all players with a career-high 31 kills along with a career-high 18 digs. Senior
Kayla Wigley (Milwaukee, Wis.) added 15 kills and a career-high 25 digs. Freshman
Lauren Charbonneau (Menomonee Falls, Wis.) distributed a season-high 53 assists. Bartelt collected a season-high seven service aces in addition to 19 digs. Senior
Emily Marohn (Reedsville, Wis.) also added 19 digs.
BenU was paced by Sophia Sommesi's 15 kills and 21 digs, and Taylor Coutts's 25 assists.
Sixth-seeded WLC opens NACC Tournament play on Tuesday at 7 p.m. when it travels to third-seeded Aurora (20-8, 11-2 NACC) for its first postseason appearance since 2020.
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