BLOOMINGTON, Ill. (WLCSports.com) – Wisconsin Lutheran College came up short in a pair of non-conference matches on Saturday at the IWU Triangular, falling to host Illinois Wesleyan 3-2 and Westminster (MO) 3-0 at Shirk Center.
(RV) Illinois Wesleyan 3, Wisconsin Lutheran 2
The Warriors (5-3) dropped a tightly contested five-set opening match to the host Titans (12-3) by scores of 25-15, 23-25, 32-30, 23-25, 15-13.
IWU used an early surge in the opening set to take control after the teams traded points to a 1-1 tie, Illinois Wesleyan rattled off a 9-0 run to build a 10-1 advantage. WLC trimmed the deficit to 12-8 but the Titans answered with steady sideout play down the stretch to secure the 25-15 win.
Wisconsin Lutheran responded in the second set with a much sharper offensive effort. Trailing 14-11, the Warriors used a 4-0 spurt to take a one-point lead. The set featured 11 ties before WLC closed on a 5-1 run to even the match with a 25-23 victory.
Set three was the tightest of the afternoon, featuring 15 ties and eight lead changes. Neither side led by more than four points. Wisconsin Lutheran fought off match pressure moments to force extra points. After the teams were tied at 30-30, IWU capitalized on a kill and a service ace to escape with a 32-30 win and a 2-1 match lead.
Facing elimination, the Warriors answered again in the fourth set. Illinois Wesleyan used a 6-0 run midway through the frame to turn a 9-8 deficit into a 14-9 advantage. WLC chipped away to regain momentum. A late push helped Wisconsin Lutheran close out a 25-23 win, forcing a decisive fifth set.
In the final set, the Warriors held a lead for the majority of the set, including 12-11. The Titans, however, closed out the match on a 4-1 run to claim the 15-13 decision.
WLC finished with a .185 team hitting percentage. Sophomore
Brady Pichler (Menomonee Falls, Wis.) led the way with 17 kills, while freshman
Adonis Hilton (Rockford, Ill.) added 12. Freshmen
Adam Bedalov (Waukesha, Wis.) and
David Warren (Brookfield, Wis.) finished with 20 and 16 assists, respectively. Pichler also led Wisconsin Lutheran with three service aces, five total blocks, along with 15 digs for a double-double. Defensively, sophomore
Noah Kern (Brookfield, Wis.) collected a team-high 17 digs, senior
Drew Wempner (West Allis, Wis.) recorded five total blocks, and junior
Josh Ward (Mukwonago, Wis.) had five block assists.
IWU hit .209 for the match with 76 kills. Aydin Provost led five players with double-digit kills with 17. Ethan Kuziela recorded a triple-double of 12 kills, 33 assists, and 13 digs.
(RV) Westminster (MO) 3, Wisconsin Lutheran 0
The Blue Jays swept the Warriors by set scores of 25-20, 26-24, 25-20 in their final match. WC (12-4) hit .375 for the match with 44 kills and just 11 errors on 88 attempts, while WLC posted a .250 hitting percentage with 38 kills and 14 errors on 96 swings.
Wisconsin Lutheran came out strong in the opening set, building an early 9-5 advantage. Westminster responded with a 6-1 run to take an 11-10 lead and later used a 5-2 surge to turn a 17-17 tie into a 22-19 cushion. The Warriors pulled within 22-20 but the Blue Jays closed the frame with three straight points to secure the 25-20 win.
In the second set, WLC raced out to an 8-2 lead. WC chipped away and eventually evened the score at 12-12. The teams traded points down the stretch, with neither side leading by more than two. After Wisconsin Lutheran grabbed a 24-23 edge, Westminster answered with three straight points to claim a 26-24 victory and a 2-0 match lead.
The third set featured seven ties and multiple lead changes early. The Blue Jays used a 5-1 run to break a 12-12 deadlock and extended their lead to 17-13. The Warriors trimmed the deficit to 20-18, but WC closed out the match at 25-20.
Pichler paced WLC with 13 kills, three service aces, eight digs, and two block assists. Warren directed the offense with 21 assists, while Bedalov added 12.
Derrick Turner totaled 13 kills to lead Westminster. Brady Sickles added 11 kills and four block assists. Connor Johnson distributed 36 assists, and Ryan Rhodes led the back row with eight digs.
Wisconsin Lutheran hosts No. 5 Cal Lutheran (11-2) on Thursday, February 19 at 7 p.m. for its home opener. Live coverage links can be found at WLCSports.com.
