Viterbo Splits Home Openers, Sobasky Joins 3,000-1,000 Club

LA CROSSE, Wis. – The Viterbo University Women's Volleyball team, ranked #9 in this week's NAIA top 25 coaches' poll, hosted the Onalaska Days Inn & Suites Volleyball Invitational this weekend at the R.W. Beggs. Sr. Gymnasium. The V-Hawks started the day with a 3-1 win over the #18 Taylor University Trojans (28-26, 20-25, 28-26, 25-20) and ended the day taking on the Bethel University Pilots which resulted in a 2-3 loss for the V-Hawks (21-25, 25-16, 19-25, 25-22, 15-17). 

Grace Rohde and Jada Mitchell started off the day strong adding one kill each bringing the score to 4-3. A few kills from the Trojans left the V-Haws down 4-9. Taylor added an error on the game and Taylor Larson contributed a service ace and two kills by Rohde and Mariah Calkins helping the V-Hawks catch up with a score of 8-10. Mitchell answered with two kills following a couple errors and four kills by Taylor bringing the score to 12-15. Viterbo started catching up towards the end of the game with a couple errors by the Trojans and a kill by Rohde to tie the game 23-23. It was a hard-fought battle to the end with a service ace by Larson, two kills by Rohde, and one kill by Marissa Kleman. An attack error by Taylor gave the V-Hawks the win 28-26. 

The second set began with a kill by Grace Rohde followed by two kills from Kenzie Winker tying the game 3-3. The Trojans took the lead 3-8 followed by a service ace from Cailie Kowal and a kill by Marissa Kleman and Jada Mitchell. Rohde helped the V-Hawks adding two kills bringing the score to 9-11. The V-Hawks fought hard contributing three more kills but couldn't take the lead. A few errors by Taylor brought the score to 18-22. The V-Hawks fell to the Trojans 25-20. 

The V-Hawks started off strong in the third set with three service aces and five total kills by Mariah Calkins, Kenzie Winker, and Jada Mitchell with Viterbo leading 9-3. Rhode kept the V-Hawks in front adding three kills raising the score 18-10. Viterbo stretches their lead with contributions from Kenidi McCabe, Mitchell, and Winker bringing the score to 21-15. Taylor answered back tying the V-Hawks 24-24. Mitchell ended the set contributing two kills with a final score of 28-26. 

Viterbo took the lead early in the fourth set with a few attack errors by the Trojans. V-Hawk's Mitchell added three kills along with teammate Kleman adding one with the score at 10-3. Taylor caught up to the V-Hawks scoring six more points bringing the score to 11-9. Winker fought hard contributing two kills and one solo block. The set got close with a score of 19-16 and errors by both teams brought the score to 21-19 Two errors by the Trojans and two kills by Rohde brought the V-Hawks the victory winning 25-20. 

Setter Lauryn Sobasky recorded 31 total assists and 9 digs for the day becoming only the 3^rd player in Viterbo history to reach the milestone of 3000 assists and 1,000 digs. Grace Rohde and Jada Mitchell led the team in kills with 16 and 15. Senior Adrianna Reinhart added 26 digs on the match. 

Anna Frey led the Trojans with 16 kills along with Mckaylah Flagle recording a team high 21 digs. 

Viterbo started the night game hot with two kills by Kleman early on in set one giving the V-Hawks the lead 3-2. The game was neck and neck until three errors by Bethel University and a kill by Rohde stretched the lead for Viterbo 17-13. The V-Hawks were unable to maintain their lead as the Pilots came back to tie the game 19-19. Bethel was able to keep their lead producing three kills and taking advantage of three errors by Viterbo with a final score of 21-25. 

Viterbo got off to a head start early in set two producing five kills with a score of 7-4. The V-Hawks maintained their lead with the help of Rohde adding three kills and Kleman adding one making the score 16-13. Bethel answered back with two points but Viterbo stretched their lead with an eight-point streak 24-16. Winker ended the second set with a kill 25-16.

Set three started off back and forth, with the Pilots and the V-Hawks trading leads. The Pilots began gaining a lead with kills by Michaela Whitaker and Cheyanne Seymour, resulting in the V-Hawks trailing 4-6. Despite V-Hawk points by Martina McGrath, Rhode, and Kleman, Bethel stretched their lead and with a three-point streak, ended the set 19-25. 

Rhode started off the fourth set with a kill for the V-Hawks. Winker followed with a kill, making the score 3-1. Bethel answered with three points in a row, with Viterbo scoring four consecutive points in return. Winker, McGrath, and Rhode each added a kill, along with a service ace by Morgan Roeber, stretching Viterbo's lead to 11-6. The Pilots could not catch up to the V-Hawks, resulting in a 25-22 victory over Bethel University. 

Set five was a nail biter to the finish. Rhode scored the first point of the game, followed by an error by Bethel. Calkins, Seymour, and Kleman each added a kill, bringing the score to 4-3. Viterbo kept their lead until Bethel's Madyson Beaver recorded a kill to tie the game 6-6. The Pilots started gaining a lead as a result of two Viterbo errors. Kleman helped the V-Hawks come back to tie the game again, making the score 11-11. The set remained close, and the Pilots took home the win with kills by Seymour and Maddy Payne, as well as a V-Hawk error. The Pilots won a hard-fought battle between both teams 15-17.  

Lauryn Sobasky led the team with 30 assists. Kenidi McCabe recorded a total of 16 digs. Kenzie Winker fought hard and produced 20 kills. 

Bethel's Jackeline Fernandez led the team in digs with 19. Madyson Beaver brought home 28 assists. Cheyanne Seymour recorded 14 kills.  

Viterbo will return on Saturday, September 10 to finish the Onalaska Days Inn & Suites Invitational, taking on Rochester University at 11:00 AM CST and Rocky Mountain College at 3:00 PM CST.