Contact: Nathan Cameron, Assistant Director of Athletic Communications, 563-588-7243

DECATUR, Ill. (Oct. 15, 2021) - The Loras College women's volleyball team (14-6, 3-3 A-R-C) hit the road to Decatur, Ill. to take on the Big Blue from Millikin University (14-7, 3-3 CCIW) in the opening night of the Five State Classic, hosted by Millikin. The Duhawks fought through three sets with Millikin, who were receiving votes in this week's American Volleyball Coaches' Association (AVCA) National Rankings, but the Big Blue pressed right back to take the victory. 

The first set saw the Duhawks get off to an early 2-0 lead on a Millikin service error followed by a kill from Moira Mixan but the Big Blue immediately responded by putting three straight on the board to go up by one. Loras then did the same, nothing three of their own on kills from Mixan and Lyndsi Wilgenbusch with the run rounded out by a Millikin attacking error to put Loras up by two at 5-3. From that point forward, the score saw a pair of ties before the Duhawks took the lead once again, scoring three straight on two Millikin errors and a Mixan kill to bring the score to 11-10. The Big Blue fought back steadily through the end of the set to take the first 25-18. 

Millikin struck first in the second set but Wilgenbusch tied the game back at 1-1 before back-to-back Big Blue errors gave the Duhawks a two point lead at 3-1. The score stayed close through the middle of the set but the Duhawks continued to fight ahead and hold the lead, jumping out by two at 12-10 after scoring three straight on a Wilgenbsuch kill, a Mixan ace and a Millikin error. The Big Blue came back to take the lead once more but it was a fight to the finish as the Duhawks tied the score twice before again going ahead by two at 21-19 taking advantage of three straight Millikin errors. Through the end of the set, the score saw three more ties before a pair of Big Blue kills put an end to the set at 26-24 to put Millikin up 2-0 going into the third. 

The Big Blue went ahead by three at the beginning of the third set before a service error put the Duhawks back at the service line where Wilgenbusch floored a kill to come back within one. Millikin's offense sparked soon after, however, going ahead 16-5 in the middle of the set before James Keefe and Sara Hoskins posted kills to put the Duhawks back on the board. In the end of the set, the Duhawks jump started a comeback, scoring four straight on a Liz Fleckenstein kill, a Sam Stoffregen ace and two Millikin errors but the Big Blue closed out the match with a 25-17 set victory. 

Wilgenbusch led the Duhawks' attack with 11 kills to her name while Mixan and Fleckenstein added six apiece. Stoffregen was a force at the service line with two aces while Krystal Tranel, Cat Gleason, Mixan and Hoskins each notched one each. Defensively, Hoskins led the Duhawks with 15 digs in the match while Tranel posted 14 of her own while Olivia Smith held down the net with two blocks. 

The Duhawks continue their weekend at Millikin on Saturday as they square off against Albion College at 11:00 AM and Trine University at 1:00 PM in the second day of the Five State Classic.