Split Ends Cobbers' Tournament Schedule

EAU CLAIRE, Wis. (9/16/23)---Concordia split their two matches on the final day of the Sandy Schumacher Classic hosted by Wis.-Eau Claire.

The Cobbers claimed a dramatic 5-set win over Concordia (Wis.) in the opener and then fell 3-1 to St. Norbert in the second match.

Concordia ends the two days in Wisconsin with a 3-1 record. CC ends the multi-team invite part of their schedule with an 8-3 record. They went 3-1 in both the Mary-Hardin and Rau Claire tournaments.

Sophomore Mallory Leitner and junioir Maria Watt were also named to the All-Tounrnament team following the conclusion of the weekend matches. 

CC is now 8-4 as they head into conference play.

Concordia vs. Concordia (Wis.)
The Cobbers outlasted the Falcons (21-25, 25-22, 20-25, 25-23, 15-10) in the second 5-set match of the year for CC. Concordia is now 2-0 when they head to the fifth set.

The Cobbers won the opener at the end of the fourth set and start of the fifth. Concordia was tied with the Falcons at 23-23 in the fourth set when Leitner put down a kill and then the Cobber defense forced an attack error to win the set at 25-23. Concordia then won five of the first six points in the fifth set, never let the Falcons get to within three points and won 15-10.       

The team stats were nearly even with the Cobbers posting a .189 attack percentage and putting down 61 kills. The Falcons hit .179 and had 59 winners.

Brook Carney, Leitner and Hannah Keil all had double-digit kill totals. Carney led the team with 15 kills, while Leitner had 12 and Keil added 11.

Keil also recorded a career-high 22 digs. Chloe Markovic led all players with 27 digs.

Kaia Lill returned to the 40-assist plateau. She put up 46 helpers and added 11 digs.

Concordia vs. St. Norbert
The Cobbers traded set wins in their final match before allowing the Green Knights to earn close wins to come away with the match victory (25-19, 14-25, 25-22, 25-23).

Concordia was tied at 22-22 in the third set – and dropped the final three points. The fourth set was also tied late before St. Norbert won the set. The bout was tied at 23-23 and the Green Knights won the last two points.

Leitner had a monster match with a career-high 21 kills. That total is the most by a CC player this season. She also hit .341 in 41 total attacks. Leitner had a team-high 43 kills in the four matches over the weekend. 

Lill posted her second 46-assist of the day. She finished with 131 assists over the weekend and now has 440 for the season, which is second in the MIAC.  

Hanna Mooney led a quartet of Cobbers with double-digit dig totals. She had 15 digs.

SANDY SCHUMACHER TOURNAMENT ALL-TOURNAMENT TEAM
Molly Bense – Buena Vista
Grace Boles – UW-River Falls
Skylar Cole – Buena Vista
Madison Fagan – St. Catherine
Allison Feigenbaum – Wartburg
Taylor French – Illinois Wesleyan
Rylie Gregg – St. Norbert
Sami Hilley – UW-River Falls
Faith Johnson - Hamline
Maycee Karpfinger – Concordia-Wisconsin
Bailey Leeke – UW-Eau Claire
Mallory Leitner – Concordia-Moorhead
Alyssa Mills – St. Norbert
Kaylin Plautz – UW-Superior
Maggie Rosen – St. Catherine
Lili Summers – Illinois Wesleyan
Maria Watt – Concordia-Moorhead
UP NEXT: Concordia will open MIAC play next week when they travel to St. Paul to take on Macalester on Friday, Sept. 22 at 7 p.m.