After a nine-game losing streak, volleyball got one in the win column during a split at the Wisconsin Lutheran Triangular Saturday. The Maroons (4–15) dropped the opener 3–1 to Concordia (16–5) before bouncing back in the next match to sweep the hosts 3–0.
Leading the charge, fourth-year middle hitter Koryn Kendall slammed 23 kills and put up 11 blocks on the day. Most of her offensive outburst came in the first match where she notched 15 of her kills against the Falcons and posted a .438 attack percentage.
Giving her some help, second-year and first-year outside hitters Diandra Bucciarelli and Elizabeth Kossnar contributed with 17 and 11 kills. But it wasn’t enough to keep up with Concordia, who claimed the match 30–18, 27–30, 30–24, 30–20.
The same trio of Maroons teamed up to pave the way for Chicago’s first victory since outlasting Defiance (5–13) 3–2 at the Gargoyle Classic September 15. Kendall switched gears into defensive mode, stopping Wisconsin Lutheran (5–14) at the net with six solo blocks and three block assists.
With Kendall squashing the Warriors’ offensive efforts, Bucciarelli and Kossnar helped lock up the South Siders’ quick 30–16, 30–26, 30–16 blanking with 10 and nine kills.
Saturday’s win could be the momentum that the Maroons have been looking for to get them on track after a series of team injuries early in the season set them back in a deep hole. They’ll need everything going for them competing against some hard-hitting UAA giants this weekend.
From here, Chicago prepares for its second UAA Round Robin, where the squad will face off against Brandeis (15–4), NYU (13–11), fourth-ranked Emory (19–4), and Rochester (14–11) in Cleveland.
