CHICAGO, Ill. – The Concordia Wisconsin women's volleyball team continued its strong start to the 2026 season on Saturday, earning a pair of victories at the University of Chicago Rosalie Resch Invitational. The Falcons rallied from a two-set deficit to defeat Rose-Hulman, 3-2, before completing the day with a 3-0 sweep of Earlham.
Concordia Wisconsin (3-0) opened the day by overcoming a slow start against Rose-Hulman, dropping the first two sets, 27-25 and 25-14. The Falcons responded with three consecutive set victories, taking the third, 25-19, the fourth, 25-22, and the deciding fifth set, 15-8.
Sophomore Lauren Kellner (Sobieski, Wis.) helped ignite the comeback in the middle of the match, finishing with 12 kills on 28 attacks while adding five block assists. Freshman Natalie Nickolai (Sheboygan Falls, Wis.) also provided a consistent offensive presence with 13 kills and four block assists.
After falling behind early in the third set, Concordia Wisconsin settled in and began to find its rhythm. The Falcons carried that momentum into the fourth set, where neither team could create much separation. With the score tied at 15-15, Concordia Wisconsin continued to battle through the extended set before pulling away late to force a deciding fifth set.
Senior setter Emily Dickmann (Grafton, Wis.) directed the offense throughout the five-set battle, while freshman Emy Miller (West Bend, Wis.) helped keep the Falcons in system defensively with 32 digs. Freshman Payton Vogel (Fort Worth, Texas) added five service aces and nine digs, providing a spark from the service line.
The Falcons carried that energy into the fifth set where Concordia Wisconsin eventually turned a 4-2 deficit into a 7-4 advantage. They continued to build their lead and closed out the comeback, 15-8.
Kirsten Krause (Pocatello, Idaho) added 10 kills in the victory, while freshman Reagan Campbell (Riverton, Ill.) contributed seven kills. Brianna Stewart (De Pere, Wis.) also made her presence felt at the net with five total blocks.
The Falcons returned to the court against Earlham and wasted little time carrying over the momentum from the comeback. Concordia Wisconsin earned a 25-21 victory in the opening set before taking the second, 25-22, and completing the sweep with a 25-20 third-set victory.
Krause paced the Falcons offensively against Earlham, recording 11 kills on 30 attacks while hitting .300. Campbell followed with nine kills, while Stewart added five kills and Olivia Robbins chipped in four.
Dickmann once again guided the Concordia Wisconsin offense, finishing with five kills on a perfect 5-for-5 attack line while adding 22 assists. Nickolai contributed four kills, two aces and two block assists, and Kellner added two block assists.
Early in the third set, the Falcons were tied at 7-7 before taking control at 10-8. Concordia Wisconsin extended its advantage to 19-13 and maintained the cushion down the stretch. Late kills from Nickolai, Stewart and Krause, along with service pressure from Vogel and Nickolai, helped the Falcons finish the sweep, 25-20.
Miller continued to anchor the back row with 13 digs against Earlham, while freshman Grace Gwin added seven digs. Madison Cimbalnik (Sturtevant, Wis.) contributed three service aces, and Samantha Thomas (Kaukauna, Wis.) added two assists and two aces.
Concordia Wisconsin will look to continue its undefeated start to the season when the Falcons return to action on Wednesday in the resumption of the Wisconsin-Whitewater match that will be played at Concordia.
