RIPON, WISCONSIN – After a long-awaited return, Spartans volleyball is finally back in action. On Friday night, the University of Dubuque women's volleyball team kicked off the 2023 campaign with two wins on opening day of the Ripon College Classic. First the Spartans defeated the Knights of Martin Luther College in a close five set match and then beat University of Wisconsin-Superior Yellow jackets in four sets.  

The Spartans dropped the first set (25-19) to the Knights before bouncing back and taking the second set (25-20). Halfway through the second set the Spartans and Knights were tied at 9-9. On the ensuing series, the Spartans went on a 7-0 run, which featured kills from seniors Emma Powell, Ashlee Adler, and Alexis Adkins to take a decisive lead grabbing set two. The Spartans would lose a close third set (26-24) that included 10 ties and four lead changes, forcing the Spartans to win the next two sets. In set four the Spartans posted their best attacking percentage of 27.6% as they forced a pivotal set five. In the final set, the Spartans set the tone early jumping out to a 10-4 lead. However, the Knights did not go down without a fight as they cut the deficit to one (12-11). After a timeout, the Spartans would rally off the next three points to win their first match of the season.

Emma Powell led the way for the Spartans with 18 kills followed by Alexis Bedier with 13. Setter, Ashlyn McGinnis recorded 39 assists and Adler had 23 digs in the win.

In the evening slate, the Spartans took the court by storm racing out to a 25-17 win in the first set against the Yellow Jackets. The Spartans tallied a team high 16 kills in the opening set. After falling in the second set, the Spartans regrouped to take a close third set. The Spartans saw themselves trailing by 2 (23-21) before mounting a comeback win. With momentum on their side, the Spartans took the fourth set (25-17) to notch their second win of the season. 
 
Emma Powell was responsible for 20 points including 17 kills while Adler recorded 22 digs and 11 kills. Freshman, Alexis Kammerer played in all four sets as she finished with 28 assists. 

Up Next
The Spartans will continue their play in the Ripon College Classic tomorrow with another double header. The Spartans will play Mount Mary University at 12:00 p.m. followed by Milwaukee School of Engineering at 2:00 p.m. on Saturday, September 2nd.