Chicago, Ill — Women's Vollyball defeated Concordia Wisconsin 3-1 (25-21, 25-17, 21-25, 25-18) on Thursday. Illinois Tech finished with 50 kills and 84 digs, while the Falcons hit .046 for the match. Illinois Tech improves to 10-5 overall and 1-1 in NACC play. The Falcons are 8-6 overall and 1-1 in NACC play.
How It Happened
The Falcons opened the first set with six straight points, including a Kirsten Krause kill and an Emy Miller ace, before the Scarlet Hawks began chipping away with kills from
Karla Trautmann Mendez,
Sydney Wilson,
Lilia Donaldson and
Payton Smith to get within 10-9. After the Falcons moved back ahead 12-9, Smith put down a kill and
Brooke Rifkin served Illinois Tech through four straight points, with two aces around a
Victoria Aspurez kill, to move in front 14-12. The set stayed tight from there, with the Falcons answering for a 15-14 lead before Illinois Tech went back ahead and the teams traded points to 21-21. Illinois Tech closed the set with the final four points, using two Donaldson kills and two Falcons attack errors to finish a 25-21 win.
Illinois Tech built a 9-5 lead in the second set, getting an opening service ace from
Rowan Midgette and kills from Trautmann Mendez, Wilson and Donaldson, before the Falcons scored six straight points to move ahead 11-9. Illinois Tech answered with a Wilson kill, a block by Midgette and Donaldson and a Donaldson kill to go back in front 12-11, and after Kaylee Hlinak tied it at 12-12, Smith's kill and Rifkin's ace put Illinois Tech up 14-12. The Falcons cut it to 14-13, but Illinois Tech won seven of the next eight rallies, with Smith, Trautmann Mendez and Aspurez all recording kills during the push to a 21-14 advantage, then finished the set at 25-17 on a Falcons attack error.
Illinois Tech worked back from an early 5-1 deficit, getting kills from Trautmann Mendez, Donaldson and Aspurez before Smith served consecutive aces to tie the set at 10-10. After Donaldson's kill evened the set again at 13-13, the Falcons scored the next seven points, with Kirsten Krause providing two kills and Natalie Nickolai serving two aces during the stretch, to move ahead 20-13. Illinois Tech pushed back by taking seven of the next nine points, including a Midgette kill, a block by Midgette and Aspurez, and late kills from Aspurez and Smith to get within 22-20. The Falcons answered with a block for 23-20, and after Smith's kill made it 23-21, Bailey Bonde and Krause delivered kills to close the set 25-21.
After the Falcons took the opening point, Smith put Illinois Tech in front with consecutive kills set by Midgette, and Illinois Tech used two Falcons attack errors and a bad set to move ahead 5-2. The Falcons got back within 5-4, but Aspurez answered with a kill and later combined with Trautmann Mendez on a block as Illinois Tech built an 8-4 edge and stayed in front, eventually reaching 15-9 on kills by Smith and Trautmann Mendez. The Falcons scored three straight points to trim the margin to 16-14, but Smith and Trautmann Mendez kills helped Illinois Tech steady the set before Aspurez's kill, service ace and Wilson's kill pushed the lead to 22-15. Donaldson gave Illinois Tech set point at 24-17, and after a Falcons point, Smith finished the 25-18 set win with a kill from Midgette.
Scarlet Hawk Standouts
Brooke Rifkin
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- team-high 22 digs
- 3 service aces
Rowan Midgette
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- team-high 34 assists
- 11 digs
- 2 block assists
Karla Trautmann Mendez
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- team-high 13 kills
- 14 digs
- 13.5 points
Payton Smith
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- 12 kills
- 8 digs
- 2 service aces
- team-high 14.0 points
Lilia Donaldson
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- 9 kills
- .318 hitting percentage
- 1 block assist
Falcons Top Performers
Emy Miller
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- 28 digs
- 2 assists
- 1 service ace
Kirsten Krause
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- 13 kills
- 2 digs
- 1 assist
Emily Dickmann
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- 27 assists
- 7 digs
- 2 blocks
- 2 kills
Natalie Nickolai
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- 14 digs
- 3 service aces
- 3 kills
- 2 blocks
Match Notes:
- Illinois Tech improved to 2-8 lifetime against the Falcons.
- Team - Recorded at least 7 service aces in 2 consecutive matches.
- Team - Totaled at least 50 kills in 2 consecutive matches.
- Trautmann Mendez - Recorded 13 or more kills in 2 consecutive matches.
- Midgette - Achieved 34 assists, surpassing their season average of 22.2.
- Aspurez - Reached a season milestone of 100 kills, contributing 8 in the current match.
Up Next
The Illinois Tech Women's Volleyball team hosts Marian University on Saturday, Oct. 3, at noon at Keating Sports Center and will then play later Saturday evening vs University of Chicago.
