MEQUON, Wis. – The Concordia University Wisconsin women's volleyball team delivered a strong performance on its home court Saturday afternoon, taking down St. Norbert College in four sets. The Falcons jumped to a commanding two-set lead before the Green Knights claimed the third set, but CUW responded with a decisive fourth-set performance to close out the match, 25-14, 25-16, 22-25, 25-19.
Set One
CUW wasted little time establishing control, opening the match with back-to-back points before St. Norbert got on the board. The Falcons quickly found their rhythm offensively, with
Bailey Bonde finishing an early kill off an
Emily Dickmann assist.
Kirsten Krause followed with a kill of her own, and the Falcons began to build momentum.
The serving game helped CUW create separation. Dickmann delivered consecutive service aces to push the Falcons' advantage to 6-1, putting early pressure on the Green Knights. CUW continued to capitalize on its opportunities, using a strong defensive presence at the net and timely kills to keep St. Norbert from finding a rhythm.
After the Green Knights briefly trimmed the deficit, the Falcons answered with another offensive surge. Kaylee Hlinak recorded consecutive kills, while Nickolai and Brianna Stewart added key finishes to maintain CUW's advantage. Bonde continued to find openings in the St. Norbert defense, and the Falcons' blocking effort disrupted the Green Knights' attack.
CUW closed the set with authority. Nickolai and Krause connected for back-to-back kills before Hlinak added another point. A St. Norbert attack error, aided by a block from Bonde and Krause, brought the Falcons to set point. Bonde then delivered the finishing kill off Dickmann's assist, sealing a convincing 25-14 opening-set victory.
The Falcons hit an impressive .478 in the first set, recording 14 kills while committing just three attack errors.
Set Two
The Falcons carried their momentum into the second set, opening with two straight points. Dickmann got CUW rolling with a kill, and a St. Norbert setting error gave the Falcons an early cushion. The Green Knights responded to keep the set close, but CUW continued to find answers through its balanced offense.
Stewart provided an important spark with consecutive kills, while Hlinak added another finish off a Dickmann assist. Nickolai and Krause then connected for back-to-back kills to push the Falcons ahead 8-4. Nickolai followed with a service ace, extending the advantage and forcing St. Norbert to work to stay within reach.
The Green Knights attempted to rally, but the Falcons consistently answered with timely plays. Dickmann contributed a kill before setting up Stewart and Nickolai for additional points. CUW's offense remained aggressive, and the Falcons used a combination of sharp attacking and pressure from the service line to maintain control.
Dickmann added a service ace during a key stretch as CUW widened the gap. Krause continued to deliver offensively, while Hlinak and Bonde helped keep the Green Knights' defense on its heels. Even as St. Norbert picked up points late in the set, the Falcons remained composed and continued to trade pressure for points.
Bonde came through with a key kill to move CUW closer to the finish, and Krause followed with another successful attack. The Falcons then closed the set in emphatic fashion when Miller delivered a service ace, giving CUW a 25-16 win and a commanding 2-0 match lead.
CUW finished the second set with 15 kills and a .324 hitting percentage, continuing to put pressure on the Green Knights' defense.
Set Three
St. Norbert came out determined to extend the match, and the third set quickly developed into a back-and-forth battle. The Falcons answered an early Green Knights point with a kill from Bonde, while a Krause-Stewart block helped CUW gain another point. Stewart continued to provide a spark offensively, and Nickolai added a kill off a Dickmann assist as the Falcons worked to establish control.
Neither team was able to pull away early. St. Norbert answered CUW's scoring runs with timely kills of its own, keeping the pressure on the Falcons. Stewart delivered another important finish, while Bonde and Krause helped CUW move ahead during a stretch that featured multiple lead changes.
The Falcons briefly created separation in the middle portion of the set. Bonde recorded a kill, then teamed with Krause for a block that helped push CUW's lead to 10-7. Nickolai followed with another kill, and Krause continued to find openings as the Falcons looked to take control of the set.
St. Norbert refused to go away, however, responding with a series of kills and a service ace to keep the score tight. CUW continued to battle, with Nickolai and Krause delivering important points and Dickmann adding a kill of her own. A late service ace also helped the Falcons maintain a narrow edge as the teams traded points down the stretch.
With the set tied at 19, the match reached a critical turning point. CUW briefly moved ahead, but St. Norbert answered to even the score at 20. The Green Knights then found momentum late, using consecutive attacking plays and a block to take control. St. Norbert scored the final four points of the set to claim a 25-22 victory and cut the Falcons' match lead to 2-1.
Despite the setback, CUW remained within striking distance and had one more opportunity to close out the match on its home court.
Set Four
With the match on the line, the Falcons responded with the urgency needed to finish the job. The teams traded early points before CUW began to build momentum. Dickmann contributed a service ace, and a St. Norbert attack error helped the Falcons move ahead. Nickolai and Stewart then teamed up for a key block, giving CUW another boost as the set developed.
After St. Norbert battled back to tie the score at five, the Falcons found another gear. Krause delivered consecutive kills to put CUW in front, and an attacking error by the Green Knights extended the run. The Falcons continued to capitalize, with Bonde recording back-to-back kills before Hlinak added another finish off a Dickmann assist. CUW had built an 11-7 advantage and was firmly back in control.
The Falcons kept their foot on the gas. Hlinak and Bonde continued to convert their opportunities, while Dickmann maintained the tempo of the offense. A Bonde kill and another St. Norbert service error helped CUW maintain its cushion as the Falcons moved deeper into the set.
Miller then delivered a crucial serving stretch that helped put the match within reach. After Krause recorded a kill, Miller served an ace to extend the lead. A St. Norbert setting error gave CUW another point, and Krause followed with another successful attack. Stewart then added a kill to push the Falcons ahead 19-11, putting the Green Knights under significant pressure.
St. Norbert attempted one final push, stringing together several points to narrow the gap. The Falcons, however, stayed composed when it mattered most. Nickolai delivered a timely kill to stop the run, and another St. Norbert attack error—this time against a block from Nickolai—moved CUW closer to the finish.
With the match on the line, the Falcons turned to the service line one more time. Payton Vogel stepped up and delivered an ace to close out the set, securing a 25-19 victory and completing the four-set triumph.
CUW finished the fourth set with 12 kills and a .235 hitting percentage, while its timely serving and blocking helped seal the win.
Nickolai and Krause led the Falcons. Nickolai recorded 11 kills and four total blocks. Krause followed with 11 kills, nine digs, and three block assists.
Emy Miller also recorded 21 digs for the Falcons at Libero.
The Falcons finished the match with 53 kills, a .271 hitting percentage and 59 digs, while recording 15 service errors and 15 total blocks.
The Falcons will return to action Thursday, October 22 against Concordia Chicago at 7 p.m. in the R. John Buuck Field House.
