MADISON, WISC. - Tuesday night's home women's volleyball match provided plenty of drama as Madison College survived a five-setter with a 3-2 win over the Concordia University-Wisconsin JV inside H. Douglas Redsten Gymnasium. The WolfPack, who dropped to #17 in the latest NJCAA Division II Poll, won the match with set scores of 14-25, 25-21, 25-20. 19-25, and 15-11. The two programs had not played since 2001, and the all-time series now stands at 1-1.

Madison College came out sluggish, as poor serve receive led to an early 4-0 lead for the Falcons. After the lead grew to 11-6, the WolfPack got back-to-back blocks from freshmen Courtney Gorum and Amber Horn that ignited a rally to get the home team within 13-12. However, CUW used an 8-0 to eventually win 12 of the final 14 points. Madison College finished with just three kills and a -.133 attack percentage in the first set.

Set two opened a little better for Madison College with a Hope Hesselberg ace, but the Falcons took control and led 11-5 when coach Mallory Stone called timeout. Consecutive kills from Gorum eventually led to a service run by the transfer that included four aces over a five-point rally to even the score at 15-15. The Pack still trailed by a point down the stretch at 21-20, and managed to claim five of the next six points, the last of which was another Hesselberg ace to close the set.

The third set was a back-and-forth tussle with neither team leading by more than three points. The WolfPack broke a 19-19 tie with four straight points and eventually claimed the win when Horn picked up another of her team-leading four blocks.



Unable to close out the match in four despite trailing just 20-19, Madison College went to work in the fifth set. Two kills each by Gorum and sophomore Tyra Anderson allowed the Pack to generate an 8-6 lead at the switch. They eventually owned a 12-7 advantage when the Falcons called time out. Concordia-Wisconsin put together one last push to pull within 12-11, but the Pack reached down deep for the final two points.

Madison College finished with 34 kills, 20 attack errors, and a .128 attack percentage, as well as nine aces, 12 blocks, and 40 digs. The blocks tie for their second-high single-match tally of the season.

Gorum, a native of Chesapeake, Virginia, led the match with 17 kills and posted a .300 attack percentage. She also had four aces to tie her season high, and racked up three blocks.

Setters Daryn Schaefer and Hesselberg split duties and each finished with 15 assists. Hesselberg, a former Lodi HS athlete, reached double-digit assists for the second straight match, a feat she also ccomplished during a home triangular in late-August.

Second year libero Kendall Weisensel registered 15 digs to lead the defense.

Up Next:

Madison College (17-7) remains home for a Region 4 match against Kishwaukee College (1-11) on Thursday, October 5 inside H. Douglas Redsten Gymnasium. The Kougars lead the all-time series 5-3, while the WolfPack own a 3-0 win in the only meeting in the 21st century back in 2017. First serve is set for 7:00 p.m. and can be streamed live at MadisonCollege.TV.

The women's volleyball team will also be celebrating Sophomore Night with a pre-match ceremony to recognized the team's five second year players.

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