Simpson downs Wartburg to advance to A-R-C Semifinals

INDIANOLA, Iowa – The Simpson College women's volleyball team advanced to the American Rivers Conference Tournament Semifinals with a 3-1 victory over sixth-seeded Wartburg on Tuesday night.

The Storm (19-7) avenged their regular season loss to the Knights (15-12) in convincing fashion, bouncing back from a narrow 26-24 setback in the opening frame to take the next three sets 25-19, 25-18, and 25-14.

With the win, Simpson advances to the A-R-C Tournament Semifinals on Thursday night, where the Storm will take on No. 2-seed Coe in Cedar Rapids. The winner will move on to face either No. 1 Dubuque or No. 4 Central in Saturday's championship match, hosted by the highest remaining seed.

SET BREAKDOWN

• 1st: Simpson came out strong, holding the edge early until a 4-0 Wartburg run tied things up at 11-11. An Emmy Seiler block gave Simpson a 19-16 lead before Wartburg scored seven of the next nine to lead 23-21. Simpson scored three straight to set up set point, but the Knights rallied to win 26-24.
• 2nd: A couple of 8-1 runs fueled Simpson to an 18-10 lead in the second set. Wartburg pulled within three but couldn't get any closer as Simpson leveled the match at 1-1 with a 25-19 victory.
• 3rd: Wartburg jumped ahead 10-4 and 14-9 in the third, but Simpson refused to back down. The Storm erupted for a 12-1 run to flip the momentum, with Emily Williams powering three kills and Peyton Mitchell adding a kill and a block. Simpson never looked back, finishing off a 25-18 win to take a 2-1 lead.
• 4th: The Storm dominated from the start, racing out to a 13-6 lead before breaking things open behind a 7-0 surge. Simpson controlled every phase of the game down the stretch, cruising to a decisive 25-14 victory to seal the match and advance to the semifinals.

LEADERS OF THE PACK

• Emily Williams: 16 kills, 14 digs
• Jada Schmidt: 11 kills, 3 blocks
• Morgan DenBeste: 36 assists, 9 digs
• Peyton Mitchell: 6 kills (.333), 6 blocks
• Audrey Behrens: 20 digs
• Maddie Dunham: 14 digs

NOTES

• Simpson's 19 wins are the most since the Storm tallied 21 in 2009.
• Simpson advances to the conference semifinals for just the second time in the last 15 seasons.

UP NEXT
Simpson faces Coe on Thursday night at 7 p.m. in Cedar Rapids, Iowa.