(Ann Arbor, MI) – Concordia volleyball hosted WHAC conference leader Lawrence Tech on Friday afternoon as they continued a busy week of play. The Blue Devils entered 20-2 overall with a perfect 11-0 WHAC record, earning them votes in the NAIA Coaches Poll. The Cardinals battled hard against a tough opponent, but Lawrence Tech claimed the win 3-0.
Delaney Bennett (SR/Fruitport, MI) led the Cardinals with 9 kills in the game. Lena Thompson (SR/Howard City, MI) finished a close second with 8 kills. Denae Tolu (SR/Canton, MI) led the back end with 11 digs while Tara Schatzle (JR/Brooklyn, MI) added 9 digs. Kaitlin Veihl (JR/Muskegon, MI) made a team-high 18 assists while tying Tionne Mercer (SO/Jackson, MI) with 8 digs.
Set 1 – LTU 25, CUAA 13
Lawrence Tech prompted a Concordia timeout with an 8-1 run to begin the game. Gabrielle den Boer (JR/Canton, MI) recorded the Cardinals' first kill, and Kaitlin Veihl later used a tricky flip over the net for a kill. Delaney Bennett hammered a strong kill midway through the set, but the Blue Devils took set 1 by a score of 25-13.
Set 2 – LTU 25, CUAA 16
Nicole Evans (JR/Bristol, IN) made the first kill for the Cardinals in set 2. Lawrence Tech opened up a double-digit lead midway through the set with a 14-4 lead. Delaney Bennett scored 4 of the next 5 points for CUAA as she continued to attack the volleyball. Lena Thompson added 3 powerful kills late in the set, but the Blue Devils secured set 2 by a score of 25-16.
Set 3 – LTU 25, CUAA 17
Gabrielle den Boer scored the first point for Concordia and a pair of hard hits from Nicole Evans deflected off the defense to put CUAA up 3-1. After an 8-8 tie, the Cardinals made a 6-1 run to prompt a Lawrence Tech timeout. Delaney Bennett notched 3 kills and Tara Schatzle recorded a service ace during the run.
The Blue Devils regrouped after the timeout, tying the game 15-15 and then retaking the lead. While the Cardinals stayed close late in the set, Lawrence Tech pulled away to finish the game with a 25-17 win.
Concordia will be right back in action on Saturday, October 19 when they host Lourdes in another WHAC conference game. The match is set to begin at 1pm.
