FOND DU LAC, Wis. (WLCSports.com) - Wisconsin Lutheran College had three players reach double-digit kills and used timely scoring spurts in each set to sweep Marian, 25-22, 25-21, 25-22, in a Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference match on Tuesday at Sadoff Gymnasium.
With the win, the Warriors improved to 7-4 overall and 2-0 in NACC play, while the Sabres fell to 4-10 overall and 0-3 in the NACC.
The opening set featured 15 ties and three lead changes before WLC closed strong. After MU evened the score at 20-20. Wisconsin Lutheran answered with a 3-1 burst. Clinging to a 23-22 edge, junior
Josh Ward (Mukwonago, Wis.) delivered back-to-back kills to seal the 25-22 win. The Warriors hit .237 in the openin frame.
WLC grabbed control early in the second set, scoring five straight points behind the serve of freshman
Adam Bedalov (Waukesha, Wis.) to build a 5-0 advantage. Marian chipped away and briefly took a 10-8 lead, but Wisconsin Lutheran responded strong to regain a 17-14 advantage, The Warriors stretched the lead to 22-18 and a senior
Drew Wempner (West Allis, Wis.) kill finished the 25-21 victory.
The third set was tight throughout, featuring eight ties. The Sabres held five separate leads of three points before WLC used a 7-3 run to jump in front 20-19. After MU tied it at 20-20, Wisconsin Lutheran surged ahead with four consecutive points, and Wempner's kill closed out the 25-22 sweep. The Warriors hit a match-best .400 in the final set.
WLC finished the match hitting .277. Sophomore
Brady Pichler (Menomonee Falls, Wis.) and freshman
Adonis Hilton (Rockford, Ill.) paced Wisconsin Lutheran with 11 kills each. Wempner finished with 10 kills and a .643 hitting percentage. Bedalov directed the offense with 38 assists. Sophomore
Noah Kern (Brookfield, Wis.) collected 10 digs.
Marian hit .147 for the match, led by Adrian Calderon-Castro's 12 kills. Giancarlo Bou dished out 16 assists. Trent Goo Sun collected a team-high 13 digs.
The Warriors return to action on Saturday for a 3 p.m. NACC match at Illinois Tech (1-9, 0-1 NACC). Live coverage links can be found at WLCSports.com.
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