WAVERLY, Iowa — The University of Wisconsin-Stout Polytechnic volleyball team split the opening day of the Wartburg Classic Friday, first falling to Wartburg College 3-2 and then sweeping Wheaton College (IL) 3-0.
GAME ONE
In the first match against Wartburg, Stout won the first two sets with scores of 26-24 and 27-25. Before the Knights rallied to take the final three sets, finishing with scores of 25-18, 25-20, and 15-8.
The pivotal moments in the first set included UW-Stout rallying from a 10-5 deficit to take a 9-3 lead, aided by two kills from
Brooke McCune, a
Brynn Hessel ace, and a
Sloan Horgan block. Wartburg responded with eight consecutive points but Stout fought back to win the set 26-24 with a series of strong plays including a crucial block by Hessel and Horgan.
In the second set, UW-Stout again fell behind before staging a comeback, with
Kailey Kline serving five straight points, including a Horgan kill, to take an 11-7 lead. The teams traded points until Stout closed the set at 27-25, with McCune finishing it off with a kill.
The third set saw Wartburg take control, pulling ahead after an early Stout lead. Despite a late push from the Blue Devils, Wartburg closed the set 25-18. The fourth set remained competitive until Wartburg scored the final three points to win 25-20. In the deciding fifth set, a series of errors from Stout allowed Wartburg to pull ahead and ultimately win 15-8.
Top Performers vs. Wartburg
Brooke McCune:
- team-high 22 kills
- team-high 23.5 points
- 9 digs
- two blocks
Sloan Horgan:
- 12 kills on .348 hitting
- team-high 7 blocks
- 16.5 points
Lainey Todd:
- team-high 20 assists
- 10 digs
Stephanie Petrbok:
- team-high 13 digs
- 4 assists
- 2 service aces
Addison Kessler:
GAME TWO
Next, UW-Stout faced Wheaton College where they found their rhythm and secured a decisive victory, sweeping the match 3-0 with scores of 25-23, 25-14, and 25-21. The Blue Devils used a pivotal 9-0 run in the third set to seal the win.
In the first set against, Stout traded points early but took the lead with a series of strong plays, including a
Kailey Kline ace. Despite Wheaton tying the score at 23-23, UW-Stout capitalized on a service error and clinched the set with a kill from McCune.
The second set saw Stout dominate early, with
Devyn Masloski serving four straight points, including three aces, to extend their lead. Kills from Hessel and McCune helped the Blue Devils maintain control, finishing the set 25-14 on a Wheaton attack error.
In the third set, McCune's kills helped Stout take an early lead, but Wheaton fought back. However, McCune sparked a crucial nine-point run that put Stout ahead 16-15. The Blue Devils maintained their lead, and Hessel's kill set up match point at 24-19. Ehlers sealed the match with a final kill, finishing the set at 25-21.
Top Performers vs. Wheaton
Brooke McCune:
- 16.0 points
- 14 kills
- 11 digs
- 2 service aces
Sloan Horgan:
- 11 kills with 2 errors on 17 attempts
- .529 hitting percentage
- 2 blocks, including 1 solo
- 12.5 points
Falon Hepola:
Devyn Masloski:
Lainey Todd:
The Blue Devils improve to 4-2 overall, and will wrap up the Wartburg Invite against Gustavus Adolphus College on Saturday, Sept. 12, at 10 a.m.
