MEQUON, Wis. – The Concordia University Wisconsin women's volleyball team (12-12, 5-6 NACC) fell 3-2 (25-16, 25-18, 21-25, 19-25, 10-15) to Wisconsin Lutheran (12-13, 6-4 NACC) in a five-set battle on Saturday afternoon at the R. John Buuck Field House.
In the first set, Concordia Wisconsin and Wisconsin Lutheran traded points early, with the Falcons taking a 5-3 lead following a kill from sophomore Kirsten Krause (Pocatello, Idaho). CUW continued to build its advantage, using a pair of kills from Krause and a kill from freshman Bailey Bonde (Seymour, Ind.) to take a 9-5 lead.
The Warriors responded to cut the deficit, but the Falcons maintained control. After Wisconsin Lutheran pulled within three at 16-13, Concordia Wisconsin closed the set on a 9-3 run.
Krause contributed two kills during the stretch, while the Falcons also received a service ace to secure the 25-16 victory. CUW recorded 15 kills while hitting .483 in the opening frame.
In the second set, Wisconsin Lutheran jumped out to an early 3-0 lead before the Falcons began to find their rhythm. CUW battled back to tie the set at five, then used a three-point run, highlighted by a kill from Krause, to take a 7-5 advantage.
The Warriors answered with a run of their own, taking an 11-8 lead, but Concordia Wisconsin responded with five consecutive points to move in front 13-11.
Senior Emily Dickmann (Grafton, Wis.) helped lead the offense during the stretch, recording a kill, while freshman Natalie Nickolai (Sheboygan Falls, Wis.) added a service ace.
The Falcons continued to extend their lead late in the set, eventually reaching a 24-17 advantage. Bonde finished the frame with a kill off an assist from Dickmann to give CUW the 25-18 win and a 2-0 lead in the match.
In the third set, the Warriors grabbed an early advantage and went on a 4-1 run to take a 6-3 lead. Concordia Wisconsin worked its way back, using back-to-back kills from Bonde and a service ace from Nickolai to tie the set at eight.
The teams continued to trade points, with the Falcons taking a brief 13-12 lead following a Krause kill. However, Wisconsin Lutheran responded with a run to regain control, moving ahead 15-13 and eventually extending its advantage to 22-17.
CUW attempted a late comeback, with kills from sophomore Kaylee Hlinak (Michicot, Wis.) and Bonde helping cut the deficit to three, but the Warriors held on to take the set 25-21. The Falcons recorded 11 kills in the frame.
In the fourth set, Concordia Wisconsin kept the score close early, trading points with the Warriors and taking a 7-6 lead. The teams remained tied at eight before the Warriors began to pull away, using a 3-0 run to take an 11-9 advantage.
Wisconsin Lutheran continued to build its lead, moving ahead 15-11 and eventually taking a 19-13 advantage. The Falcons tried to respond late, putting together a three-point run with kills from Krause and Bonde to cut the deficit to 21-18.
However, the Warriors scored four of the final five points to secure the 25-19 victory and force a fifth set.
In the final set, the teams traded points early, with Concordia Wisconsin tying the score at five following a block from freshman Brianna Stewart (De Pere, Wis.). Wisconsin Lutheran regained the lead and held a 6-5 advantage before the Falcons tied it again at six.
The Warriors then began to create separation, using a series of kills to build a 9-6 lead. After CUW cut the deficit to one, Wisconsin Lutheran went on another run, scoring five consecutive points to take a 14-9 advantage.
Hlinak added a kill to keep the Falcons alive, but the Warriors closed out the set 15-10 to claim the match.
Krause led the Falcons with 13 kills and 16 digs, while Bonde added 11 kills and a .286 hitting percentage. Dickmann recorded 36 assists and 16 digs, and Nickolai contributed seven kills, 13 digs and a team-high four service aces. Emy Miller led CUW with 18 digs.
Concordia Wisconsin will return to action on Nov. 5 when it hosts Marian at 7 p.m. CST.
