V-Hawks Split a Pair of Matches at Labor Day Classic

NORTH SIOUX CITY, S.D – The Viterbo University Women's Volleyball team, ranked #9 in this week's NAIA Top 25 Coaches Poll, split a pair of three-set matches at the College of Saint Mary/United Sports Academy Labor Day Classic on Friday. Concordia University (Neb.), ranked #10, topped Viterbo 3-0 (15-25, 18-25, 16-25) in the early game, while Viterbo defeated Tabor College (Kan.) 3-0 (25-12, 25-15, 25-16) in the nightcap. After today, the V-Hawks are 5-4, the Bulldogs improve to 8-0, and the Lady Jays drop to 1-11.

Mariah Calkins would record the first kill of the tournament for the V-Hawks, on an assist from Lauryn Sobasky. Adrianna Reinhart's ace gave VU a 3-2 early lead, but neither team would pull away. Viterbo had a spread out scoring with kills from Jada Mitchell, Kenzie Winker, and Martina McGrath, and an ace from Maddie Connor. A Mitchell kill from Connor closed the Concordia lead to 14-13, but the Bulldogs would capitalize on numerous Viterbo errors to finish the set on an 11-2 run, capped by an Ashlyn Wischmeier ace for the 25-15 win.

The second set would also start in a back-and-forth fashion, with four lead changes and eight ties before reaching a 10-10 tie. Marissa Kleman would connect on back-to-back kills to put Viterbo up 14-12, and Connor found Mitchell for a kill to give Viterbo what would be their final lead at 16-15. Viterbo would tie the game at 18-18, but Concordia went on another run, this time 7-0, to end the second set 25-18 on a Kalee Wiltfong kill.

In the final set, the Bulldogs would jump out to an early 9-3 lead on an Ashley Keck kill from Bree Burtwistle. Reinhart found Winker to end the run, and Calkins recorded back-to-back blocks, one with McGrath, the other with Grace Rohde, but the V-Hawks were unable to catch CUNE. The Bulldogs would lead by as much as 11 at 22-11, and Kleman would connect on three consecutive kills to try to spark a late rally, but Gabi Nordaker's kill ended the game at 25-16.

Marissa Kleman led Viterbo with nine kills while hitting .263, and Winker added seven kills. Reinhart led all players with 13 digs, and Sobasky contributed eight difs to go along with her team-high 16 assists. Calkins led the team with three block assists.

Nordaker posted a game-high 12 kills (.600), with four block assists and a solo block. Burtwistle led the Bulldogs with 27 kills and nine digs.

Viterbo would start the late game hot, jumping out to a 6-0 lead on kills from Rohde and Winker, and an ace from Kenidi McCabe. Tabor would get within three on a kill by Emma Rohdes, but the V-Hawks would pull away again with a 8-2 run, that turned into a 16-6 run, highlighted by aces from Taylor Larson and Sobasky, and a block from Rohde and Sadie Treptow. Treptow's kill from Connor ended the game 25-12.

Winker's four early kills, with another from Grace Peyron, paced Viterbo for an early 9-3 lead in the second set. Calkins kept the offensive pace going with back-to-back kills, and Reinhart's ace gave Viterbo an 11 point lead, 19-8. Tabor's 7-2 run came too late for a rally, and a Lady Jay error gave the V-Hawks the 25-15 win.

In the final set, Tabor looked as though they would pace Viterbo better, going up 3-1 to start. But a 9-1 run, including two aces but Connor, by the V-Hawks changed that. Rhodes would help close the Tabor deficit with an ace and assist to Fiona Sampaio, brining to score to 13-11. But found Kleman, Calkins, and Winker on three straight volleys, and the V-Hawks wouldn't look back, going on another 8-2 run, and winning the game on an ace by Mia Quist.

Winker led all players with 15 kills, hitting .290, while Mitchell (.714) and Calkins (.444) each added five. Sobasky recorded a game-high 21 assists and Reinhart led the game with 17 digs. Calkins also posted a solo and assisted block.

Kallie Cathcart led Tabor with seven kills, Rhodes put up 14 assists, and Tori Maldonado had seven digs. Shelby Christensen recorded three block assists.

Viterbo returns to the court on Saturday, September 3 to continue the College of Saint Mary/United Sports Academy Labor Day Classic by taking on the University of Saint Mary (Kan.) at 1:00 PM and Morningside University (Iowa) at 5:00 PM.