RIVER FOREST, Ill. (WLCSports.com) – Wisconsin Lutheran College dropped a 3-1 Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference match to Concordia Chicago on Wednesday at Geiseman Gymnasium.
The Warriors (7-11, 4-3 NACC) suffered their third conference loss of the season to the Cougars by scores of 25-15, 19-25, 25-20, 25-17.
CUC used a 7-0 scoring run to break free from a 2-2 tie early in the first set. WLC came within five points at 13-8, but couldn't get any closer as Concordia Chicago never trailed in the opening set. The Cougars led by as many as 10 points, 25-15, at the conclusion of the set.
Wisconsin Lutheran never trailed in set two, jumping out to a 7-3 lead following consecutive kills from freshmen
Brady Pichler (Menomonee Falls, Wis.) and
Noah Kern (Brookfield, Wis.). CUC came back to even the score for a second time at 13-13, but three straight points from junior
Drew Wempner (West Allis, Wis.) put the Warriors ahead. Concordia Chicago once again closed to within a point, before WLC scored seven of the next nine points to pull away and win the set, 25-19.
The Cougars scored the first four points of the third set and led by as many as five on five separate occasions. Trailing 19-14, Wisconsin Lutheran came within a point following a 5-1 scoring spurt. CUC tallied five of the final six points for a 25-20 victory.
A back-and-forth beginning of the fourth set featured nine ties before the score was even at 11-11. The Warriors trailed 14-13 before Concordia Chicago netted six of the next seven points and WLC couldn't get any closer than five points the rest of the way as it fell 25-17.
Pichler paced Wisconsin Lutheran with a team-high 15 kills, three service aces, and a season-high 18 digs for his seventh double-double. Kern and Wempner added nine kills apiece. Senior
James Biedenbender (La Crosse, Wis.) distributed 34 assists and had 10 digs for his fourth double-double of the year. Kern and junior
Connor Haeuser (West Bend, Wis.) added 10 digs each. Wempner tallied three total blocks. Â The Warriors had 41 kills for a .142 hitting percentage.
Tyler Holubek registered 20 kills and 13 digs, while Elijah Mosher added 44 assists and 18 digs for a pair of double-doubles for the Cougars (8-13, 3-5 NACC). CUC hit .295 behind 58 kills.
WLC travels to Watertown tomorrow for a 7 p.m. non-conference match against Maranatha Baptist (0-17). Live coverage links can be found at WLCSports.com.
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