Huskies take down No. 14 Wheeling Jesuit 3-0

Saturday, September 14

St. Cloud, Minn.

7 p.m.

St. Cloud State

8-0

Wheeling Jesuit

5-3

Wheeling

St. Cloud State

Phebie Rossi goes for a kill in St. Cloud State's win over Wheeling Jesuit.

Photo by: Kylie Macziewski

9/14/2019 11:20:00 PM | Volleyball

Box Score

ST. CLOUD, MINN. – When you're hot, you're hot. At least, that's how the saying goes right?

No one may be hotter than the St. Cloud State University volleyball team.

The Huskies entered Saturday evening's match against Wheeling Jesuit University riding a win streak unlike any other. St. Cloud State was a perfect 7-0, the team's best start to the season since 1985, and won nine consecutive matches dating back to 2018.

Thanks to another stellar performance, the Huskies notched their eighth win of the season and second-straight victory over a ranked opponent, as they took down No. 14 Wheeling Jesuit in straight sets by scores of 25-18, 25-13, 25-21.

After scoring a resounding win over No. 21 Michigan Tech on Friday night, St. Cloud State was looking to earn yet another win over a ranked opponent to close the BW Kelly Inn Huskies Volleyball Classic. A win was exactly what the team got, as the Huskies used a balanced offensive attack to defeat the No. 14 Cardinals. However, things weren't looking too rosy for St. Cloud State at the get go. Despite winning the first point of the match, the Huskies fell into a quick 4-1 deficit thanks to strong serving by Wheeling Jesuit's Breanna Kramer. St. Cloud State, though, was able to get out of the jam thanks to a resounding kill from first year middle blocker Phebie Rossi (Rapid City, South Dakota / Stevens) before going on a six point scoring run to take an 8-4 lead over the Cardinals.

The first set was essentially over at that point. Though Wheeling Jesuit would score points, the Cardinals were never able to score enough to catch the Huskies, who held at least a five-point lead for the remainder of the set. A kill from Erin Navratil (Albany, Minn. / Albany) would officially seal the deal, as St. Cloud State took set one by a final score of 25-18.

If fans thought the Huskies were good in set one, they were even better in set two, as they led from the get-go in their 25-13 second set victory. As a team, St. Cloud State hit .333 in the second set with 14 kills and just two errors on 36 attempts. The Huskies were also extremely strong defensively, as digs from Clara Krenz (Oakdale, Minn. / North St. Paul), Taylor Olstad (Eagan, MInn. / Eagan) and Linsey Rachel (Maple Lake, Minn. / Maple Lake) helped keep rallies alive and allowed St. Cloud State to dominate in the offensive facets of the game.

It looked like the Huskies might need a fourth set in the early stages of the third, as their hot second set didn't necessarily carry over. Wheeling Jesuit managed to hang with St. Cloud State point for point, even when the Huskies would jump out to a seemingly substantial two or three point lead.

Still, St. Cloud State did eventually manage to put the Cardinals away for good, as an ace from Olstad gave the team a two-point lead it would never relinquish. Twice in the final stages of the set, Wheeling Jesuit would cut the lead to two points, but kills from Chloe Dousette (St. Paul, Minn. / Cretin-Derham Hall), Rachel and Navaratil would seal the win for the Huskies 25-21.

Three different Huskies tallied double-digits kills Saturday evening, with Navratil leading the way with 12 kills and a career-high .400 hitting percentage from the outside. Rossi added 10 kills from the middle, while Rachel tallied 10 kills and a team-leading 19 digs for yet another double-double this season.

Maddy Torve (Loretto, Minn. / Heritage Christian Academy) was once again stellar as the team's starting setter, as she tallied 38 assists over the course of the three-set victory. Krenz finished the match with 18 digs and one ace.

With the win, St. Cloud State's overall record improves to 8-0, the team's best start to the season since 1985. The Huskies will return to action on Friday, September 20 when they host Winona State University in their Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference (NSIC) opener. First serve is scheduled for 6 p.m. in St. Cloud, Minnesota.