ST. PAUL, Minn. — For the Gusties, scouting the Northwestern-St. Paul volleyball team was like looking in a mirror. After all, both teams were undefeated on the season, 7-0, and nationally ranked, with the Eagles sitting at No. 7 and the Gusties at No. 8. Both teams also sported an athlete of the week, as Gustie libero Maren Sundberg (Fy., Eagan) was named MIAC Defensive Player of the week and the Eagles’ Marylyn Schroyer earned the same honor from the UMAC.
Tuesday’s match would undoubtedly put an end to one of these undefeated streaks. Unfortunately for the Gusties, their 2022 magic could only last so long, as they fell to the Eagles by a score of 3-0.
Northwestern grabbed the momentum from the opening serve in the first set, scoring 16 of the first 20 points and never let go of the lead. Gustavus failed to string more than two consecutive points together, as the Eagles built their lead to as many as 16, including the final 25-9.
The Gusties turned up the heat in the second set, battling for their first lead of the match, but the early three-point lead was not enough to tame the high-powered Eagles, as a run of four unanswered points would put an end to the set, 25-21.
The Eagles picked up right where they left off in the third set, racing off to an early lead that the Gusties could not extinguish. The seventh-ranked Eagles would soar to a 3-0 sweep of the Gusties, winning the final set 25-18.
Sarah Elliott (Sr., Lombard, Ill.) and Courtney Peterson (Sr., Jamestown, N.D.) led the Gusties’ offensive charge against Northwestern, collecting seven kills each, while Marlee Turn (Jr., Kennedy) chipped in six of her own. Kasie Tweet (Jr., Adrian) accounted for 21 of the team’s 25 assists, and Athlete of the Week Sundberg delivered a team-best 28 digs.
The Gusties are back in action this weekend at the Loras Invite in Dubuque, Iowa as they face-off against No. 21 UW-Stevens Point at 5 p.m. Friday. Competition resumes Saturday, with the Gusties facing Grinnell (noon) and host Loras College at 2 p.m.