(Fort Wayne, IN) – Concordia volleyball traveled to Indiana Tech on Friday afternoon to begin competition in the Liz Lykowski Memorial Tournament. The Cardinals faced off against Goshen College at 2:00 and then against Trinity International at 6:00. CUAA fought hard in both matches, but the Cardinals suffered two losses on the day.

Game 1 – Goshen 3, CUAA 1

Lena Thompson (SR/Howard City, MI) led the Cardinals with 14 kills. Gabrielle den Boer (JR/Canton, MI) was second with 11 kills while tying Nicole Evans (JR/Bristol, IN) for the team lead with 2 blocks. Tara Schatzle (JR/Brooklyn, MI) continued to anchor the back end with a team-high 23 digs. Kaitlin Veihl (JR/Muskegon, MI) led the team with 41 assists while also making 20 digs.

Set 1 – Goshen 25, CUAA 16

Kaitlin Veihl scored the first point for Concordia with a service ace. The Cardinals received early kills from Gabrielle den Boer and Lena Thompson, but Goshen pulled away to lead 10-4 prompting a CUAA timeout. Concordia hung around late in the set with back-to-back kills from Gabrielle den Boer and a pair of kills from Nicole Evans, but Goshen claimed set 1 by a score of 25-16.

Set 2 – CUAA 25, Goshen 21

A kill by Nicole Evans tied the game 1-1 early in set 2. Gabrielle den Boer recorded back-to-back service aces to put Concordia up 5-2. Delaney Bennett (SR/Fruitport, MI) continued to attack the ball, recording multiple kills for a 12-8 CUAA lead. Goshen began to make a small rally, prompting a Concordia timeout with a 16-14 advantage.

The Maple Leafs made a full comeback to take a 19-18 lead. A powerful kill from Nicole Evans tied the game and back-to-back kills from Lena Thompson put Concordia back in front. Behind two strong serves from Tionne Mercer (SO/Jackson, MI), the Cardinals took set 2 by a score of 25-21.

Set 3 – Goshen 26, CUAA 24

Concordia started up 2-0 when combined blocks from Gabrielle den Boer and Nicole Evans caused Goshen attack errors. A flip over the net from Kaitlin Veihl led to an early 3-1 lead and kills from Gabrielle den Boer and Lena Thompson kept the Cardinals in front.

Goshen built a 19-15 lead, but the Cardinals pulled within 1 off a service ace from Tara Schatzle. Goshen took a 22-18 lead, but back-to-back kills from Kaitlin Veihl and one from Delaney Bennett put CUAA within a point again. Goshen led 24-22 and once more the Cardinals rallied when Lena Thompson made back-to-back kills to tie the set. However, the Maple Leafs earned the last 2 points to win the set 26-24.

Set 4 – Goshen 25, CUAA 13

Both teams traded points early with Lena Thompson notching 2 early kills. Goshen began to pull away with a 10-4 advantage, leading to a CUAA timeout. With the Cardinals trailing 13-5, the team put together a 5-0 run with Gabrielle den Boer making 3 kills. However, Goshen slowly pulled away and finished off the match with a 25-13 win.

Game 2 – TIU 3, CUAA 1

Delaney Bennett led the Cardinals with 10 kills in the match. Lena Thompson finished a close second with 9 kills. Tara Schatzle led Concordia with 11 digs. Lindsey Luff (SO/Flushing, MI) was a force at the net with a team-high 6 total blocks. Kaitlin Veihl led the team with 27 assists and also added 5 blocks.

Set 1 – TIU 25, CUAA 21

After Trinity International started with a 4-1 lead, the Cardinals scored 4 unanswered points with Gabrielle den Boer picking up an ace. A kill by Delaney Bennett tied the game 9-9 and the teams continued to battle with CUAA staying within 1-2 points. However, the Trojans pulled away towards the end of the set and earned a 25-21 win.

Set 2 – TIU 25, CUAA 23

Concordia jumped out to a 2-0 start after a kill by Nicole Evans. Back-to-back kills by Delaney Bennett gave the Cardinals a 10-9 lead in a set that featured 11 tie scores. Lena Thompson continued to pick up points, highlighted by a strong kill off a cross-court feed from Kaitlin Veihl. After the Trojans led 22-19, Concordia scored 3 unanswered points capped off by a Gabrielle den Boer ace. However, Trinity International was able to secure the 25-23 win.

Set 3 – TIU 25, CUAA 21

Delaney Bennett scored Concordia's first point of the third set. After falling behind early, the Cardinals battled back to force a 5-5 tie. After a 9-9 tie, the Trojans used a 7-2 run to force a CUAA timeout with the Cardinals down 16-11. Concordia stayed within 3-4 points late in the set, but Trinity International finished the match with a 25-21 win.

The Cardinals will compete in day 2 of the tournament tomorrow when they face Thomas More at 12:00pm and Spring Arbor at 2:00pm.