Milwaukee, Wis. — Despite a strong effort from
Karla Trautmann Mendez, Illinois Tech women's volleyball lost 3-0 to Wis. Lutheran on Saturday, with set scores of 21-25, 19-25, 25-27. The Scarlet Hawks finished with 34 kills and a .063 hitting percentage, while the Warriors totaled 36 kills and hit .117. Trautmann Mendez paced the Scarlet Hawks with 13 kills.
The Scarlet Hawks are 12-7 overall and 3-2 in NACC play. The Warriors are 9-10 overall and 3-1 in NACC play.
How It Happened
The teams traded points early, with
Victoria Aspurez and
Karla Trautmann Mendez recording kills for the Scarlet Hawks, before the Warriors moved ahead 7-2 on a Keiveana Petersons kill, a Veronica Tollakson ace and an Illinois Tech attack error. A service error put the Warriors ahead 8-3, and Elizabeth Ehlke's ensuing service turn included an ace and three Illinois Tech attack errors, the last on a Petersons block, as the lead grew to 12-3 before Trautmann Mendez answered with a kill. The Scarlet Hawks later put together a four-point push from 19-10, using a Warriors service error, two attack errors and a block by
Lilia Donaldson and Trautmann Mendez to get within 19-14. After the Warriors reached 24-18, Illinois Tech scored three straight on a
Payton Smith kill and two Warriors attack errors, but Alex Emberger's kill finished the set for the Warriors, 25-21.
Illinois Tech traded points through the opening stretch, with
Rowan Midgette's ace tying the set at 3-3 and Trautmann Mendez Mendez's kill putting the visitors ahead 7-6. The Warriors answered with four straight points to move in front 10-7, and after another Trautmann Mendez kill, the home side pushed the margin to 17-11 behind kills from Alex Emberger, Elizabeth Ehlke and Ireland Zyzo.
Cecilia Veters, Donaldson and Smith added kills as the Scarlet Hawks continued to side out, but the Warriors reached 22-15 before an Elizabeth Ehlke attack error and a Trautmann Mendez kill brought Illinois Tech within 22-17. The Warriors moved to set point on Veronica Tollakson's ace, and after Smith's kill and a bad set cut it to 24-19, the Warriors closed the set 25-19 on a block by Keiveana Petersons and Faith Smith.
In the third set, the Scarlet Hawks opened with four straight points, including kills by Aspurez and a
Maya Zinkiewicz ace, before the Warriors answered to move in front 7-5. Illinois Tech pulled even at 7-7 and again at 13-13, with Donaldson and
Olivia McMath contributing kills during those responses, but the Warriors later built a 22-19 lead. The Scarlet Hawks came back with four straight points, getting an Aspurez kill between a Warriors service error and two attack errors to take a 23-22 lead. The Warriors answered after ties at 23-23, 24-24 and 25-25, scoring the final two points to take the set 27-25.
Scarlet Hawk Standouts
Karla Trautmann Mendez
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- team-high 13 kills
- 7 digs
- 2 blocks, including 1 solo
- team-high 14.5 points
Rowan Midgette
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- team-high 14 assists
- 1 service ace
- 3 digs
Brooke Rifkin
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- team-high 13 digs
- 2 assists
Olivia McMath
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- 1.000 hitting percentage
- 11 assists
- 4 digs
Warriors Top Performers
Elizabeth Ehlke
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- 16 digs
- 6 kills
- 1 service ace
Alex Emberger
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- 8 kills
- 8.5 points
- 1 block
Faith Smith
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- 7 kills
- 2 blocks
- 8.0 points
Lauren Charbonneau
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- 16 assists
- 7 digs
- 1 service ace
Veronica Tollakson
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- 12 assists
- 7 digs
- 2 service aces
Match Notes
- Illinois Tech fell to 2-8 lifetime against the Warriors, losing the last 5 matches.
- Team - Achieved at least 52 digs in 7 consecutive matches.
- Trautmann Mendez - Recorded 13 or more kills in back-to-back matches.
Up Next
The Scarlet Hawks travel to River Forest, Illinois, to face Dominican University (Ill.) on Thursday, Oct. 15, at 7 p.m. in NACC competition.
