V-Hawks Open Conference Play With Victory

La Crosse, Wis. — The V-Hawks took to the court on Saturday to face off against the Saint Xavier Cougars in their first conference match of the season. The V-Hawks came out victorious with a 3-1 win over the Cougars. This victory extends the Viterbo conference win streak to 27 games. The last time Viterbo lost a conference match was in November of 2022.

The V-Hawks were led by Sadie Treptow's 11 kills in the matchup. Treptow held a 0.500 hitting percentage at the end of the game. Jada Mitchell led the team in blocks, earning four blocks with one of them being a solo block. Maddie Connor brought up the assists column with 22. Connor also led the team with an outstanding seven aces. Resse Germann held down the team defensively, putting up 17 digs in her performance.

HOW IT HAPPENED

• The first point for the V-Hawks came on a kill from Jalen Hinzman. Viterbo fell behind in the first set, going down 12-8. The V-Hawks fought back with a 5-0 run, marked by two aces from Hailee Halverson. The score was tied at 13-13, 14-14, and 15-15. The Cougars went on a late 4-0 run to put the V-Hawks down 21-18. Saint Xavier won set one 25-22. 
• Viterbo fell behind early again in the second set, going down 12-6 early in the match. The team remained down at 15-9, despite efforts to fight back. A couple of small runs by the V-Hawks brought them to just a one point deficit at 17-16. The V-Hawks tied it up at 19-19, and then the show was all Maddie Connor. Connor scored three aces at the end of the second set, and assisted Jada Mitchell in two kills. The V-Hawks won set two 25-19. 
• The third set was all about Viterbo. The V-Hawks opened on an 8-0 run with kills from Sadie Treptow and Jada Mitchell and another ace from Maddie Connor. The Cougars attempted to fight back, but the V-Hawks remained on top at 14-3 when Jaden Polovina scored an ace. Maddie Connor notched two more aces late in the set back-to-back, and the V-Hawks won set three 25-9. 
• The first point for the V-Hawks in set four came from a Jada Mitchell kill. The teams remained tight until Casey Frankland served up two aces back-to-back to give the V-Hawks the lead early on. Viterbo held the lead, getting ahead by as many as five points. The cougars fought back, and Viterbo narrowly held their lead, but two kills from MaKena Ihle and a kill by Hailee Halverson sealed the match for the V-Hawks. Viterbo won set four 25-21. 

LEADERS OF THE GAME

• Kills - Sadie Treptow (11)
• Hitting Percentage - Sadie Treptow (0.500)
• Assists - Maddie Connor (22)
• Digs - Resse Germann (17)
• Blocks - Jada Mitchell (4)
• Aces - Maddie Connor (7)

UP NEXT

The V-Hawks will travel to compete at Olivet Nazarene for their second conference match of the season. The match is set to begin at 6 PM on Monday, September 8.