Prairie Fire Succumbs To Inferno In Alverno Classic

MILWAUKEE -- The Alverno College volleyball team blasted 100 kills in a pair of victories over Knox College in the final day of the 2012 Alverno Classic in Reiman Gymnasium on Saturday.

The Inferno (3-10) connected for 46 kills in the morning match -- which was the teams' final match of pool play -- and then tallied a season-high 54 in the tournament's third-place match this afternoon, again against the visiting Prairie Fire (1-10).

In the morning match, Alverno rallied from a 9-2 first-set deficit to secure the 25-20 win. The host then held on to a close 26-24 set-two victory, and secured the match with a 25-19 win in the third set.

Emma Ortner (Tigerton, Wis.) led the Inferno offense with 10 kills, while Mariah Arterberry (Brawley, Calif./Union) and Cali Trepp (Iron Mountain, Mich./Niagara) added nine apiece. Chelsea Gulbronson (Milwaukee/Pius XI) and Daryl Sigh (Milwaukee/Whitefish Bay) chipped in with eight and seven kills.

Gulbronson led the defense with 14 digs and Ortner had 13 for a double-double in the match.

Setter Reagan Owen (Salina, Kan./Central) had match-highs with 38 assists and three service aces.

Just a few hours later the teams would meet again in the third-place match and the Inferno picked up where it left off with a 25-19 opening-set victory. But the Prairie Fire battled to take the second set 25-15, before the Inferno closed out the match with 25-23 and 25-21 set victories.

Ortner and Arterberry had season-highs with 13 and 11 kills, and Ortner tallied 22 digs for her second double-double of the day.

Owen led the passing with 40 assists, while Trepp had a match-high four service aces.

Ortner was named to the all-tournament team as she compiled team-highs of 37 kills and 47 digs in the four matches.

Augustana College (Ill.) defeated Beloit College, 3-0 (25-14, 25-18, 25-16), in the tournament's championship match.

Alverno returns to action on Wednesday as it hosts Lakeland College in a Northern Athletics Conference match at 7 p.m.