Cobbers Fight Hard in Five-Set Thriller Against Luther

Saint Joseph, Minn. (8/29/25) – The Concordia volleyball team battled through a thrilling five-set match against Luther, ultimately falling 3-2 in a hard-fought contest.

The Cobbers came out strong in the first set, edging Luther 25-22. Emma Nagorski, Annie Horan, and Mallory Leitner powered the offense, while Betsy Schiltz and Cayla Sailer sparked the team with timely service aces. Hanna Mooney and Lexi Lohman anchored the back row with five digs each, helping Concordia stay ahead in the tight opening set.

Luther answered back in the second set, using a pair of early service aces and a balanced attack to pull away for a 25-17 win. Concordia struggled to find consistency at the net, producing just six kills, while Luther capitalized on strong serving and a few Cobber attack errors to even the match at one set apiece.

The Cobbers bounced back in the third, dominating 25-12. Horan led the attack with early kills, while Lauren Pearson, Nagorski, and Leitner kept the offense balanced. Pearson also added a service ace to stretch the lead, and Horan's blocking stifled Luther's hitters throughout the set. The Cobbers strung together multiple four-point runs, giving them complete control and the 2-1 match lead.

Set four was a back-and-forth battle, with Concordia matching Luther point for point. Nagorski, Pearson, Horan, and Leitner all contributed key kills, but the Norse pulled ahead late to take the set 25-18, setting up a winner-takes-all fifth frame.

The final set started with Concordia taking a 4-1 lead with kills from Horan and Kaili Malvey. Luther responded with a 5-0 run to seize momentum, and while the Cobbers stayed in the fight with big kills from Leitner, late errors and timely Norse swings allowed Luther to pull away for a 16-14 win.

Leitner led Concordia with 11 kills and just three errors, hitting .226 on the night. Nagorski added eight kills, while Horan was dominant at the net with 10 total blocks. In the back row, Sailer and Schiltz each recorded 13 digs, and Mooney contributed 11. Schiltz also notched her first double-double of the season with 16 set assists to go along with her 13 digs.

The Cobbers will look to bounce back tomorrow, facing Nebraska Wesleyan at 9 a.m. before taking on Crown at 3 p.m.