PLYMOUTH, Wis. – The Lakeland University women's volleyball team finished the regular season on a high note and now sets its sights on postseason play after a three-set win over Concordia University Chicago Saturday afternoon at the Moose & Dona Woltzen Gymnasium.
The Muskies swept the Cougars 25-16, 25-17, 25-19 for their ninth win in 10 matches and their ninth straight win in Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference play. Lakeland finished the regular season 19-8 overall and tied for second in the NACC with a 10-2 league mark.
The Muskies finished in a tie for second with Edgewood University, but the Eagles defeated Lakeland in three sets in the teams' meeting Sept. 24. Edgewood will be the No. 2 seed in the tourney while the Muskies are the No. 3 seed and will take on sixth-seeded Wisconsin Lutheran College Tuesday night at 7 p.m. in a quarterfinal match.
Lakeland recognized four seniors-
Ryan Figi (
Hartland, Wis.),
Emily J. Hansen (
Kaukauna, Wis.),
Caitlyn Pernsteiner (
Arpin, Wis.) and student assistant coach
Lourdes Lester (
Delta Junction, Alaska)-in Senior Day ceremonies before the match Saturday, and the Muskies were largely in control from the start.
Lakeland never trailed in the first set, only trailed once at 1-0 in the second set, and finished the match strong after Concordia (9-17 overall, 5-7 NACC) snuck back into the match late in the third set.
Maleigha Kovalaske (
Jr.-Ripon, Wis.) rolled up 21 kills in just three sets with a .417 hitting percentage, and the Muskies as a team hit .261 (44 kills, 15 errors) and added nine service aces.
The third set was easily the closest with 10 ties and six lead changes, and the last tie came at 18-18 after the Cougars scored four straight points. Lakeland scored the next six points, though, and finished it out on the second match point with a CUC attack error.
Kovalaske posted at least 20 kills for the third time in six matches and capped a big week that also included 19 kills Wednesday in a four-set loss to UW-Whitewater.
Emily R. Hansen (
Jr.-Mayville, Wis.) added eight kills and Pernsteiner also finished with seven kills.
Figi posted 13 digs and
Rylee Esquibel (Jr.-Devine, Texas) added 10 digs plus five service aces.
Katie Westerholm (
Fr.-Prior Lake, Minn.) and
Sydney Gay (
Jr.-Rice Lake, Wis.) combined for 36 assists with Westerholm posting 20 and Gay adding 16, and
Laura Pearson (
Jr.-San Diego, Calif.) led the blockers with four block assists.
Ava Quevedo led Concordia Chicago with eight kills and added five blocks (three solo, two assisted). Rosemary Brenner also posted a match-high 15 digs. The Cougars hit .095 with 24 kills and 15 errors and added nine blocks, finishing with a 9-7 edge over the Muskies in blocks.
Lakeland will face Wisconsin Lutheran for the second time in less than two weeks. The Muskies swept the Warriors in three sets 25-16, 25-20, 25-18 in their first meeting at home on Oct. 29.
