MILWAUKEE, WIS. — Wanting to wrap up the season with a strong weekend, the Central College volleyball team came up just a bit short of taking two matches at the Warrior Invitational hosted by Wisconsin Lutheran College Friday night.
A sweep of the Milwaukee School of Engineering (Wis.) (25-22, 25-18, 25-18) was preceded by a five-set defeat against the host school (13-25, 25-23, 28-26, 17-25, 15-13).
"Wisconsin Lutheran was a good match," coach
Jeanne Czipri said. "Statistically, we should have won but it was the timing of some of our errors that put us in a tough spot.
"We refocused against MSOE and were very happy to take care of them in three sets."
Starting middle hitter
Tori Van Velzen (Cumming, Iowa, Norwalk HS) was out with an injury, moving right-side hitter
Erin Dilger (junior, Tinley Park, Ill., Lincoln Way-North HS) to the middle where she had eight kills against the Warriors.
Ruth Hruska-Kelly (freshman, Brookfield, Ill., Riverside-Brookfield HS) played the right-side and piled up 10 kills in the first match.
"Erin stepped into the middle and made some nice offensive plays," Czipri said. "Ruth stepped up on the right side to help us find some needed offense."
Melissa Miller (senior, Williamsburg) and
Krissa Larson (freshman, outside hitter, Waverly, Waverly-Shell Rock HS) led the team with 27 and 25 kills on the day, respectively.
"Krissa and Mel had some really impressive swing," Czipri said.
Dilger and
Hana Edgerton (junior, Grundy Center) led the attack from the middle against MSOE with six and seven kills, respectively. Setter
Chapel Carter (senior, Colorado Springs, Colo., Coronado HS) had 17 assists and
Alyssa Lewton (freshman, Ankeny, Centennial HS) had nine.
"Our setters and middles did a great job of finding ways to connect on tough plays," Czipri said. "We made some good defensive plays and were very smart on offensive."
Hannah Tripp (sophomore, Eldora, South Hardin HS) had a team-high 23 digs in the two matches.
Central plays its final match of the season tomorrow against Maranatha Baptist University at 10 a.m. on the second day of the Warrior Invitational.
