Jackie Schmitz and the Wolves saw their season end with a tournament loss to Trinity International University
Joliet, Ill. – Strong efforts by freshman, Ashley Wipperfurth (Sauk City, Wis.), and senior, Jackie Schmitz (Menomonee Falls, Wis.), weren’t enough as the Cardinal Stritch University women’s volleyball team dropped their final match of the season to Trinity International University.
Stritch picked up their game for day two of the Chicagoland Collegiate Athletic Conference Tournament, improving on both offense and defense. However, although the Wolves were closely matched with the Trojans, the fell 20 digs short of matching them on defense. Stritch closed their 2009 season with a 2-3 loss (25-19, 18-25, 25-23, 16-25, 9-15).
The Wolves fell behind early in the first set, going down 6-10 on an attack error by Anna Flock (Norwalk, Wis.). Stritch fought their way back, bringing the game to 15-15 before taking a three point advantage after a Schmitz service ace and a kill by Wipperfurth. The Trojans were never able to come back, and the Wolves took the set 25-19, ending on three more kills by Wipperfurth.
TIU once again jumped ahead early in set two, using kills from Taylor Arseneau (Kankakee, Ill.) and Carly Yattaw (Highlands Ranch, Col.) and a few Stritch errors to take a 15-9 lead. The Wolves tried to find their way back into the game, but were never able to pull within any less than three points short of the Trojans. TIU shut the door on the Wolves, 25-18 with a kill by Arseneau.
Game three was highly contested. The two teams traded points until an 18-18 tie. The Trojans then used three consecutive Stritch errors to pull ahead 21-18. But the Wolves weren’t done, as a kill by Flock began a five point run to give them a 23-21 advantage. TIU came back to tie the game at 23-23, but two attack errors by Arseneau gave Stritch the set, 25-23.
The fourth set looked as though it would be as close as the previous one, as the Wolves tied TIU at 11-11 on a kill by Wipperfurth. The Trojans flipped the switch at this point, using Stritch errors and four kills by Yattaw to take an 18-12 lead. There was no coming back for the Wolves with the dominance of the Trojan attack, and they fell 16-25.
The fifth and final set was close in the beginning, as Wipperfurth, Katlyn Britton (Westby, Wis.), and Alyssa Ahmad (St. Francis, Wis.) matched TIU’s kills, bringing the score to 6-6. However, as the set went on Yattaw took charge for the Trojans and Stritch hitters struggled to keep the ball in play. The Wolves fell 9-15 in their final set of the year.
Yattaw recorded a match-high 27 kills in the match, while teammates Arseneau and Kelley Gimms (West Chester, Ohio) each added 11. Arseneau also led all athletes with 38 digs. Cheri Stoddard (Muscoda, Wis.) handed out a match-high 52 assists.
Wipperfurth earned her second double-double of the tournament, contributing 23 digs and a career-high 23 kills. Kaitlin Fischer (Mokena, Ill.) led the team with 35 assists. The senior also recorded 19 digs. Schmitz picked up a team-high 25 digs in her last game for Stritch.
The Wolves close the season 10-22 overall and 4-6 in the CCAC.