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

WAVERLY, Iowa (Nov. 5, 2021) - Advancing in the American Rivers Conference (A-R-C) Tournament with a Quarterfinals victory over the Simpson College Storm on Tuesday, Nov. 2, the No. 3 seeded Loras College women's volleyball team (21-11, 5-3 A-R-C) traveled to the campus of Wartburg College to take on the No. 2 seeded Coe College Kohawks (24-7, 7-1 A-R-C) in the Semifinals round of the Tournament. Graduate student libero Krystal Tranel wrapped up her collegiate career with 20 digs in the match to place her second all-time in program history with 1,831 career digs behind current assistant coach Haley Bergan who holds the program record with 2,318 digs in her career. 

Coe got off to an early 2-0 lead in the first set on a kill and a Duhawks error before All-Conference hitter Liz Fleckenstein put the Duhawks on the board with a kill assisted by All-Conference setter Sara Hoskins. The Kohawks continued to add to their lead in the middle of the set with the Duhawks spoiling any runs longer than two points in a row, adding two straight of their own on the board on a Cat Gleason kill and a Coe error to bring the score to 17-9. Later in the set, All-Conference hitter Lyndsi Wilgenbusch put down a kill that put Moira Mixan at the service line who followed with an ace to bring the score to 21-11 but the Kohawks held on to take the first set 25-12. 

Gleason started the second set off hot for the Duhawks with a set-opening kill and added another kill alongside Wilgenbusch to give Loras a 3-1 early. The Duhawks outscored the Kohawks 7-3 in the early part of the set, scoring on only two Coe error as the Duhawks floored four kills and an ace in the run to give them a five-point lead at 10-5. Coe responded by putting up six straight of their own to go ahead by one but the lead was short lived as Fleckenstein put down a kill to tie the score once more at 11-11. The Kohawks scored two more after the Fleckenstein kilsl to take the lead again, and while the Duhawks stayed under their nose the Kohawks widened the lead by six at 24-18. In the final moments of the set, the Duhawks' offense sparked on a Coe service error that was followed by back-to-back Wilgenbusch kills to see the Duhawks go on a three-point run by the Kohawks prevailed and took set two by a 25-21 margin. 

The Kohawks went up 5-1 early in the third set but were quickly plagued by errors, giving Loras six straight points on five errors and a Gleason service ate to put the Duhawks up by two at 7-5. Coe tied the score soon thereafter at 8-8 and went ahead by three at 12-9 as they outscored the Duhawks 6-1 to jump ahead by three. A Kohawks service error followed by a Fleckenstein kill brought the Duhawks back within one but a five point run for Coe ensued and their lead was extended to six points. Down by eight at 20-12, the Duhawks made a late-set comeback on a Fleckenstein kill, a Talia McAtee service ace and a Mixan kill before Coe put a kill down to cut the Duhawks run short. Mixan responded by flooring another kill that was followed by a Coe error to bring the score to 21-17. In the final moments of the match, the Duhawks' offense kicked it into high gear and outscored the Kohawks 5-1 on three kills, an ace and a Kohawks error to come within two at 24-22 but Coe held off the attack and took the set 25-22 to advance to the A-R-C Tournament Finals. 

Fleckenstein led the attack offensively with 10 kills in the match while Gleason added nine and Wilgenbusch with seven. Mixan added two more aces to her career numbers, seeing her stay at second all-time in program history with 151, just shy of Courtney Clark's record of 165 career aces. Defensively, Olivia Smith held down the net with three total blocks in the match while Hoskins had one block and 27 assists at setter. Tranel put up 20 digs in the match to see her improve to second all-time in career digs with 1,831 in her four years wearing the purple and gold.