DUBUQUE, Iowa - The #2 seeded University of Dubuque volleyball team will host the #5 seeded Wartburg College Knights in the 2024 American Rivers Conference Volleyball Tournament Championship on Saturday. UD rallied after being down 5-11 in both the first and second sets to win both sets (25-21, 28-26) to jump out to an early 2-0 lead over the #3 seeded Nebraska Wesleyan University Prairie Wolves. The Prairie Wolves captured the third set 25-21, before the host Spartans won the fourth set and the match 25-23.
The fans in attendance witnessed 28 ties and nine lead changes in the semifinals. The two teams would both attempt over 190 attacks in the four sets. The Spartans finished with 49 kills in 192 attacks and were led by
Emma Powell's 15 kills. Caitlyn Jensen and
Delaney Dietz both finished with eight kills trailed by teammates
Payton Uptagraft and
Delainey Winkel who had seven kills each.
Alexis Kammerer assisted in 23 attacks and
Ashlyn McGinnis added 15 assists. Defensively
Taylor Bechen compiled 24 digs, Powell had 23, Winkel added 16, McGinnis and Kammerer dug 11 each. UD attacked the net for eight solo blocks and four assisted blocks. Jensen blocked four times, two solos and two assisted.
The Spartans have claimed their seventh consecutive semifinal run and look to their third tournament title in the past six years and the first for rookie coach
Karrah Davis. UD played the Knights on Nov. 6 and quickly led after taking the first two sets and led 14-5 in the third before the Knights rallied to win the match 3-2 and knocked the Spartans out of the conference title. UD won the first set 25-20, 25-17 in the second, lost the third set 25-22, the fourth set 25-17, and the fifth set 15-8.
University of Dubuque - Leaders
| Kills |
Powell, Emma (14), Winkel, Delainey (13), Uptagraft, Payton (12) |
| Aces |
Kammerer, Alexis (3), Powell, Emma (2), Jensen, Caitlin (1) |
| Blocks |
Uptagraft, Payton (4), Sperfslage, Taylor (3), Powell, Emma (2) |
| Assists |
Kammerer, Alexis (29), McGinnis, Ashlyn (18), Bechen, Taylor (2) |
| Digs |
Bechen, Taylor (23), Powell, Emma (22), Winkel, Delainey (20) |
Wartburg College - Leaders
| Kills |
Kracht, Emerson (16), Koudelka, Kaylee (16), Anderson, Liv (14) |
| Aces |
Kracht, Emerson (2), Robinson, Peyton (2), Sedgwick, Sophie (1) |
| Blocks |
Kracht, Emerson (5), Feigenbaum, Allison (2), Hayungs, Leah (1) |
| Assists |
Sedgwick, Sophie (33), Kracht, Emerson (23), Robinson, Peyton (4) |
| Digs |
Robinson, Peyton (29), Kracht, Emerson (23), Koudelka, Kaylee (14) |
Tournament championship game time is Saturday, Nov. 16 at 7:00 p.m. on Jon Davison Court in the Stoltz Sports Center in Dubuque, Iowa.
#5 seed Wartburg College - (18-11 overall, 5-3 in A-R-C)
#2 seed University of Dubuque - (21-9 overall, 6-2 in A-R-C)
A-R-C Official Tournament Site Click Here
