Dialed Up Defense Keys Come-From-Behind Win

MOORHEAD, Minn. (10/18/13)—Concordia dialed up its defense to rally from a 2-1 deficit against Gustavus and post a 3-2 win (22-25, 25-23, 20-25, 25-19, 15-12). The victory keeps the Cobbers unbeaten in MIAC play and atop the league standings.

Concordia (16-7/7-0 MIAC) limited the Gusties to just .071 and .045 attack percentages in the fourth and fifth sets to come away with their seventh straight conference victory. The Cobbers struggled in the first and third sets but then got control of their passing game and were able to string points together on a consistent basis.

"The key tonight was our defense and passing in the last two sets," commented Concordia head coach Tim Mosser. "We were able to overcome the first three sets and then find a way to win in the final two. I am really proud of the way our team battled tonight."

It didn't look like Concordia would be able to keep their perfect conference record intact after the first three sets. Gustavus routinely found openings in the Cobber defense and Alyssa Taylor was able to connect on kills whenever she was passed the ball.

The Cobbers dropped the first set 25-22 before rallying to take set No.2 25-23. The Gusties cruised to a 25-20 win in the third set before Concordia finally got on track with their defense and passing. The Cobbers came up with a 25-19 win in the fourth set which was sparked by a 4-1 lead to start the contest and then an 11-5 run midway through the set. CC held the Gustie offense to just a .071 attack percentage in the fourth set.

The fifth set was all about runs as the teams traded multiple-point streaks. The Cobbers jumped out to a 5-2 lead before Gustavus responded and tied the decisive set at 5-5. CC then responded with four straight points before the Gusties cut the lead to 9-7 with two straight points. Concordia then responded by retaking a four-point lead at 12-8 before Gustavus got to within one at 12-11. The Cobbers put up the final run of the match as they won three of the final four points.

In addition to the defense and passing prowess in the final two sets, Concordia was buoyed by the return of 2012 MIAC Rookie of the Year Olivia Wangensteen who played in her first match since coming down with a lower leg injury in the third week of September.

"I think Olivia's presence on the court helped our overall confidence," said Mosser. "Especially in the final two sets when we were able to have another option on offense and a key member on defense. It was nice to see her back in the lineup."

Wangensteen finished the five-set match with a match-high 21digs. She also added eight kills.

Concordia had two players with double-digit kill totals. Junior Kynndyl Ross had a team-high 16 winners and Heather Beaner added 10 kills. The setting combination of freshmen Mandy Mercil and Jena Klaphake combined for 52 assists. Mercil had 27 assists to go along with 10 digs and Klaphake came away with 25 helpers.

Concordia will have a quick turnaround as they are back on the court on Saturday, Oct. 19 at 1 p.m. when they host St Olaf in the second half of the annual back-to-back conference home weekend.