OMAHA, Nebraska — The V-Hawks rounded out their second day of competition at the College of Saint Mary Labor Day Classic with two five-set victories. In their 11 AM match, the V-Hawks pulled off the upset of the #1 ranked Indiana Wesleyan, defeating their first top-ranked opponent for the first time since 2021. In their 3 PM match, the V-Hawks fought back and completed the reverse sweep of Peru State.
Against #1 Indiana Wesleyan, the star of the show was Sadie Treptow with 16 kills and three blocks. Treptow hit at a 0.452 clip. Maddie Connor posted a strong 27 assist performance, followed closely by Jaden Polovina‘s 23 assists. Resse Germann put up 29 digs for the squad in their upset victory.
In their match against Peru State, Jada Mitchell paved the way with an impressive 17 kill performance, hitting a 0.433 percentage. Jada Mitchell and Jalen Hinzman also led the way with six blocks each. Maddie Connor put up 29 assists, and Resse Germann led with 21 digs in their afternoon victory.
HOW IT HAPPENED (vs #1 Indiana Wesleyan)
- Jada Mitchell scored the first two points of the game for Viterbo with kills assisted by both Jaden Polovina and Maddie Connor. The match went back and forth for much of the first set. Late kills by Hailee Halverson and Sadie Treptow put the pressure on Indiana Wesleyan, forcing the team to take a timeout. Wesleyan responded, eventually defeating the V-Hawks 25-21 in set one.
- The V-Hawks went down early in the second set, but responded with kills from Sadie Treptow and MaKena Ihle and an ace from Casey Frankland. Wesleyan put some pressure on Viterbo, forcing a timeout for the V-Hawks. Viterbo Responded with four kills from Sadie Treptow, closing out the second set with a 25-22 victory.
- Maddie Connor scored the first kill of the third set for the V-Hawks, but Wesleyan responded with a 6-0 run. Wesleyan continued with several small runs, but Casey Frankland broke it up with back-to-back service aces. Despite their efforts, the V-Hawks fell in set three 25-17.
- The V-Hawks came out strong in set four, scoring 14 points to Wesleyan’s three. During their run, Jaden Polovina scored two aces. Viterbo held strong in the fourth set, gaining momentum for the fifth set. The V-Hawks won set four 25-12 on a kill from Izzy Jahr.
- Viterbo carried their fourth set energy into the fifth, scoring the first point of the set from Hailee Halverson‘s kill. There was some early back and forth in the fifth set, but Viterbo remained on top. Though Wesleyan attempted to fight back, a kill from Sadie Treptow sealed the set, and secured the upset, with a 15-12 fifth set score.
HOW IT HAPPENED (vs Peru State)
- The V-Hawks struggled early on, dropping the first six points to Peru State before taking a timeout. Peru State continued stringing together a series of small runs, keeping Viterbo down. A kill by Hailee Halverson attempted to bring some momentum back, but they remained down 17-10. The V-Hawks went on a 6-2 run late in the set, bringing the score closer, but ultimately they fell to Peru State 25-21.
- The second set began much like the first with Peru State earning the first four points of the game. Some back and forth play ensued until the V-Hawks went on their own 4-0 run, marked by an ace from Resse Germann. This brought the deficit to just one point. Peru State answered, scoring the next three points. Though the V-Hawks continued to fight, they fell in set two 25-21.
- In a must-win third set, the V-Hawks came out with more fire, scoring the first three points of then set. Their dominance continued, going up 11-6 early in the match. Peru State fought back, bringing the game back within one, but a massive 7-0 run by the V-Hawks brought their lead to 22-14. Viterbo won set three 25-17.
- The V-Hawks continued with their dominance into the third set, scoring eight of the first 10 points. By the middle of the set, the V-Hawks were holding a 15-8 lead. Viterbo them went on a 6-0 run with back-to-back-to-back kills from Jada Mitchell. Two more kills from Mitchell and an ace from Hailee Halverson solidified the defiant 25-11 fourth set win.
- Maddie Connor set the tone for the deciding fifth set, opening with an ace for the V-Hawks. The V-Hawks went on a 4-0 run to open the set. By the middle of the set, Viterbo held a five point lead at 10-5. The team held their lead until the end. Jada Mitchell sealed the game with a kill, claiming a 15-9 victory in the fifth set.
TODAY’S LEADERS
- Kills – Jada Mitchell (26)
- Hitting Percentage – Jada Mitchell (0.438)
- Assists – Maddie Connor (56)
- Digs – Resse Germann (50)
- Blocks – Jada Mitchell (11)
- Aces – Casey Frankland (8)
UP NEXT
The V-Hawks will compete in their home opener on Saturday, September 6 at the Viterbo Varsity Athletic Center. The game will take place at noon against Saint Xavier (Ill.), kicking off conference play for the V-Hawks.
