Despite all efforts, Shannon Petrack and the Wolves couldn't overcome defensive woes on Saturday afternoon
Milwaukee, Wis. – The Cardinal Stritch University Wolves had a strong first day in the 2010 Wolves Weekend Invitational, but could not repeat the effort in day two. The Wolves would fall in both matches on Saturday to the University of St. Francis Cougars and the Davenport University Panthers, both by 3-0.
Playing in their first match of the day, the Wolves ran into a Cougars team that had already lost once on Saturday morning. Stritch would struggle defensively as the Cougars’ Nicole Newton (Rochelle, Ill.) and Jillian Peck (Leo, Ind.) would notch 13 and 14 kills, respectively, in the match and would take all three sets against the Wolves by scores of 25-22, 25-23, and 25-21.
Ashley Wipperfurth (Sauk City, Wis.) and Shannon Petrack (Winneconne, Wis.) would lead the Wolves with a combined 17 kills. Stritch would also see their three-match winning streak come to an end with the loss.
Returning to the court for their second match of the day, the Wolves would face the Davenport University Panthers in hopes of getting back on the winning track. However, things would get off to a rocky start.
The Panthers would start the first set by ripping off three straight points, but kills by Jessica Shaver (West Allis, Wis.) and Shannon Petrack would get the Wolves back into the set. That would be the closest Stritch could come as Davenport would end up taking the first set by a final of 25-18.
As set two started, the Wolves would hold their only lead early on in the start. Down 1-0, Stritch would go up 2-1 courtesy of a kill by Victoria Pflibsen (Manville, Ill.) and an attack error by Davenport’s Kassie Graves (White Cloud, Mich.)
The Panthers would quickly pull the lead back by putting the Wolves in an 8-4 hole. As the set progressed, Stritch would continue to battle from behind, eventually able to tie the set at 15-15 after two consecutive kills by Shaver.
Unfortunately, it would be the last time Stritch would be within shot of the Panthers as Davenport would move ahead for the 25-19 win, also going up 2-0 in the match.
The third set would find Stritch down an early 4-1 to Davenport, but the Wolves would continue to hammer away at the deficit and eventually reach the Panthers by tying the score at 8-8. Unfortunately, the Wolves defense would continue to struggle as the Panthers would go on a 7-2 run to put Stritch down 15-10.
The Wolves would continue to battle, but would end up falling in the final set 25-17.
In the loss, Wipperfurth, Petrack, and Shaver would combine for 21 kills while Jacqui Zintak (Evergreen Park, Ill.) and Kate Osowiec (Chicago, Ill.) would combine for 25 assists. Davenport would be led in kills by Brittany Bott (Hudsonville, Mich.).
With the losses, the Wolves find their 2010 record at 3-6 overall. Next up, Stritch will start conference play as they’ll head to Westville, Ind. on September 7 to face the Purdue University North Central Panthers at 7 p.m.