(Huntington, IN) – Concordia volleyball kicked off their 2022 season at the Huntington Tri-Match on Tuesday. The Cardinals picked up a pair of five-set wins against the host Huntington and Trinity International to start the year 2-0.
Game 1 – CUAA 3, HUN 2
Breann June led the Cardinals with 14 kills. Abigail Austin had a team-high 31 assists. Kayla Peters led the team with 21 digs.
Set 1 – CUAA 25, HUN 17
Abigail Austin opened the game with back-to-back aces. Breann June added an ace as the team jumped out to a 7-2 lead. The Cardinals continued to maintain their lead and Madeline Vnuk closed out set 1 with a service ace.
Set 2 – CUAA 26, HUN 24
Concordia started set 2 on a 3-0 run with Breann June making an ace. A block by Jessalyn Peavyhouse put the Cardinals up 8-1. Breann June continued to add kills, but Huntington tightened the set late with multiple tie scores. With the match knotted up 24-24, kills from Hannah Duchene and Jessalyn Peavyhouse closed out the set.
Set 3 – HUN 25, CUAA 20
CUAA started up 3-0 in set 3. The lead changed hands through the middle of the set with Breann June making many kills, but Huntington eventually pulled away late to claim a 25-20 win.
Set 4 – HUN 25, CUAA 17
Hannah Duchene had Concordia's first kill in set 4. Jessalyn Peavyhouse tied the set 5-5 with a kill and Breann June notched a go-ahead kill, but Huntington answered with an 8-0 run. Abigail Austin added an ace but Huntington forced set 5 with a win.
Set 5 – CUAA 16, HUN 14
Hannah Duchene started set 5 with a kill. Huntington answered with a 5-0 run, but the Cardinals slowly clawed back with an ace from Breann June and a kill from Claudia Grepke. With the set tied 14-14, Kayla Peters made two critical back-to-back kills to secure the victory.
Game 2 – CUAA 3, TIU 2
Kayla Peters led the Cardinals with 12 kills. Abigail Austin had a team-high 16 assists. Breann June led the back end with 13 digs.
Set 1 – CUAA 25, TIU 16
Hannah Duchene had the first kill in set 1, starting a 5-1 run. Madeline Vnuk made a service ace midway through the set and the Cardinals pulled ahead by double digits. Hannah Duchene added a late ace and a block from Claudia Grepke finished set 1.
Set 2 – CUAA 25, TIU 13
Breann June had the first Concordia kill in set 2. Hannah Duchene and Claudia Grepke combined for an early block and both Madalyn Lisman and Tara Drinane teamed up for one later. Kayla Peters made two kills to close out set 2.
Set 3 – TIU 25, CUAA 22
Breann June made the Cardinals' first kill in set 3. Kayla Peters and Madalyn Lisman made early kills as the set was close in the early stages. The set featured multiple ties later on, but TIU extended the game with a 25-22 win.
Set 4 – TIU 25, CUAA 15
Kayla Peters made the first Concordia kill in set 4. Peters and Claudia Grepke continued to add kills along with a service ace from Tara Drinane later on. However, TIU forced a 5th set with a 25-15 win.
Set 5 – CUAA 15, TIU 11
The 5th set went to an early 7-7 tie with both teams capitalizing on each others' errors. Breann June made a go-ahead kill and Hannah Duchene and Kayla Peters combined for a late block. An error by TIU closed out the game and gave CUAA the win.
Concordia will play their next matches on Friday at the Amber McClure Fayerweather Memorial Tournament. The team faces Thomas More at 2pm and Spring Arbor at 6pm.
