Volleyball takes down Rochester in tough 4-set match

Volleyball takes down Rochester in tough 4-set match

(Ann Arbor, MI) - The Concordia Cardinals Volleyball team enters tonight's matchup against the Warriors after a 2-1 week. Returning home before setting back out onto the road, the Cardinals would go into a matchup against Rochester. The Cardinals entered the match at 3-18 and 1-8 in the WHAC while the Cardinals entered at 7-12 and 3-6.

 

For the Cardinals, Kayla Peters and Claudia Grepke led the team with 19 kills apiece. Splitting time at the setter position Madeline Vnuk and Abigail Austin would both surpass 20 assists with Vnuk recording 28 assists, while Austin tallied 23. Heading up the defensive end was McKenzie Peters with 32 digs while Jessalyn Peavyhouse had 4 blocks. 

 

Set 1 - Concordia 25, Rochester 22

The Cardinals and Warriors would begin the set by going back and forth between scoring points. The first CUAA point came from a kill of Claudia Grepke. Both teams would continue going back and forth scoring points with the score staying within a matter of each other. Rochester would go on a five-point run in the middle of the set to give themselves a two-point lead. CUAA would score 8 of the final 11 points as Hannah Duchene would get the last kill. 

 

Set 2 - Concordia 26, Rochester 24

Like the first set, Claudia Grepke would get the first kill of the set. The Warriors would go up 7-2 before a CUAA timeout. The timeout would spark the Cardinals for eight straight points before a Warrior point. Following that RU would score twice before another long Cardinal run as they would score another six consecutive points. Despite the RU comeback, the Cardinals would score the final three points on two Grepke kills and an attacking error.

 

Set 3 - Rochester 25, Concordia 23

The first kill of the third set would come from Tara Drinane, seeing her first action of the match.  Following a tie at 5, the Cardinals would score six straight points, as Kayla Peters would get a kill and an ace in that stretch. Seven of the following 10 points would go to Rochester as the score would be CUAA leading 14-12. Kayla Peters and Hannah Duchene would help the Cardinals build back to a four-point lead. Rochester would mount a comeback scoring six of the final nine points of the set. 

 

Set 4 - Concordia 28, Rochester 26

During the final set of the match, the Cardinals were able to get the first point following two straight errors from the Warriors. Both teams would be fighting in what would be a tough final set. Both teams would fight to get to a tie at 26. Megan Neumann would get a kill to get the game to match point before the final point of the night from a Warrior error. 

 

The Cardinals will head to Illinois for their final two non-conference matchups of the season as they will participate in a tri-match with Trinity Christian and the University of St. Francis (IL) on Saturday, October 8 with their first match going up against Trinity Christian at 10 AM.