By Nick Barene, guest writer
The Lutes weren’t rattled after dropping the first set in their match against Concordia-Moorehead on Saturday. They just went on to win the second and third set, winning 3-2 in their final non-conference tune up.
Photo by Thomas Soerenes.
In the opening set, the two sides battled back and forth before the visiting Cobbers gained a seven-point lead. The Lutes would battle back to come within two points of the Cobbers but eventually lost the set, 25-20.
The Lutes came out swinging in the second set, leading by as many as 15 points en route to a 25-11 set victory. In the third set, the two teams played another tight game until the Lutes pulled away for a 25-18 win. The Lutes held a 21-18 lead in the fourth frame, but the Cobbers would storm back with an unanswered four to win the set, 25-22.
In the fifth and final set, the Lutes cruised to a 15-8 victory after jumping out to a 5-0 lead.
Photo by Thomas Soerenes.
Sophomore Lucy Capron led the Lutes with 14 kills. Samantha North, junior, complemented Capron’s eventful night with 44 assists. Junior Amber Aguiar tallied 25 digs and Amy Wooten, also a junior, added seven blocks to the Lutes’ winning effort.
Head coach Kevin Aoki said he was proud of the way his team handled the shifting momentum of the game.
“It’s just a matter of making adjustments,” Aoki said. “It’s a continued effort to get the momentum back on your side.”
Aoki also praised his team for keeping cool heads during the final set. “You have to stay aggressive and keep swinging and keep playing the way you always play,” Aoki said.
The Lutes are now ranked 17th in the nation with a 4-4 overall record that includes a sweep of No. 3 ranked Wittenburg. The team will open conference play against Pacific on Friday.
