GLEN ELLYN, ILL. - The second of three straight weekend tournaments for the Madison College volleyball team once again came with another tough slate of matches, and the WolfPack put together a 1-3 record at the College of DuPage Chaparral Invitational. The 'Pack opened with a 3-0 defeat of Black Hawk College, before taking a 3-0 loss to St. Cloud Technical College (MN) on the opening day. Saturday's matches were both against teams ranked in the NJCAA Division III Preseason Poll, and saw Madison College fall by a 3-1 score to #9 Minnesota State Community & Technical College and then take a 3-0 setback to #4 Rochester Community & Technical College (MN).

Match #1: Madison College 3, Black Hawk College 0

The WolfPack outlasted the Braves in the first set, which set the stage for the sweep with set scores of 25-23, 25-17, and 25-15. Madison College posted 28 kills in the match, with 11 coming in the third and final set, and hit at a .188 clip overall. The match also included a season-high eight aces, to go along with seven blocks and 36 digs.

Sophomore outside hitter/opposite Samantha Kessenich hammered home a career-best 11 kills on a .611 attack percentage. The double-digit kills total is the first for the Evansville, Wisconsin, native and transfer from NAIA Clarke University. Four other players registered multiple kills in the match, including five each from Sidni Walgurski and Cathleen Flannery. Flannery was also tops on the team with four aces and three blocks. First year setter Lena La Fleur made her third consecutive start and delivered a career-high 25 assists. Sophomore Olivia Marron registered a team-leading 14 digs, setting a new personal best in that category.

The WolfPack is now 2-0 all-time against Black Hawk College (1-4), with both wins coming at the Chaparral Invite.

Match #2: St. Cloud Technical College (MN) 3, Madison College 0

In its second match of the day, Madison College went up against St. Cloud Technical College (5-1), and after dropping the first two sets 25-19 and 25-16, battled to extra points in the third before taking a 27-25 loss. The WolfPack had 25 kills and a .237 attack percentage, while also racking up five aces, five blocks, and 33 digs.

Sophomore outside hitter Cathleen Flannery, a transfer from NCAA Division III Alverno College, paced the team with nine kills and a .533 hitting percentage. Freshman Lena La Fleur had 22 assists from the setter spot. The duo also matched one another for team-high honors in aces with two apiece. Libero Amelia Walton had nine digs to lead the back row.

The match was the first-ever meeting between the two NJCAA Division III programs.

Match #3: #9 Minnesota State Community & Technical College,  Madison College 0

Saturday's opener against the ranked Spartans began with a pair of 25-17 and 25-15 set losses, however, Madison College fought hard to win set three by a 23-25 final before falling 25-19 in the fourth. The WolfPack pounded out 14 of their season-high 39 kills during the third set, and hit at a .414 percentage to boost their match hitting efficiency to .235. They also matched or set season-high totals in three other statistical categories, posting eight aces, 7.5 blocks, and 48 digs.

Freshman middle blocker Calla Borchert enjoyed her best match of the season with 11 kills, a .500 attack percentage, and four aces. Five others also had multiple kills, with sophomore Olivia Marron totaling eight. Borchert's two blocks trailed fellow middle blocker Sidni Walgurski with four to lead the defensive effort at the net. Marron and freshman Jaidyn Lange keyed the back row work with 11 and ten digs, respectively. Setter Lena La Fleur tallied 20 assists to reach that number for the fourth time in five matches.

The loss drops Madison College to 4-6 all-time against Minnesota State CTC (7-0).

Match #4: #4 Rochester Community & Technical College (MN), Madison College 0

The tournament finale was originally scheduled against Kishwaukee College, however, the Kougars dropped out and Madison College concluded the weekend with a contest against the fourth-ranked Yellowjackets, whom they will also play in Rochester next weekend. The WolfPack lost the match by scores of 25-20, 25-20, and 25-17. Madison College produced 27 kills and hit .149 in the match, while also tallying 35 digs, 23 assists, three blocks, and two aces.

Sophomore OH Cathleen Flannery produced her second double-digit kills total of the season with ten to lead the 'Pack. The former De Pere High School athlete also registered a .318 attack percentage. Four other players had multiple kills in the match. Freshman setter Kaleia Lawrence had a team-high ten assists to match her best single-match effort this season. Calla Borchert, a first year middle blocker, picked up two solo blocks, and freshman libero Amelia Walton collected 15 digs.

Madison College trails the all-time series with Rochester CTC (8-0) by a 19-11 margin despite winning six of the last eight matches played.

Up Next:

Madison College (3-8, 0-1) will make a return trip to Glen Ellyn, Illinois, and return to North Central Community College Conference play with a match at the College of DuPage (3-8, 1-0). The Chaparrals also went 1-3 in their tournament this past weekend, but did earn a 3-0 win over Triton College to begin N4C season last week. The two teams each won on the others home floor in 2018, with the Chaparrals' win in Madison snapping a 28-game winning streak for the WolfPack in the head-to-head series. First serve is scheduled for 6:00 p.m on Wednesday, September 4. 

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