Simpson closes Luther Invite 1-3

DECORAH, Iowa - Simpson dropped matches to No. 20 Nebraska Wesleyan and Viterbo on Saturday, closing the Luther Invitational with a 1-3 record.

Simpson faced a pair of nationally-ranked opponents at the tournament, including No. 14 St. Thomas (Minn.). Nebraska Wesleyan defeated Simpson in four sets (25-13, 25-22, 23-25, 25-19) while Viterbo won in three (25-23, 25-19, 25-22).  

After the opening set, the Storm (5-7, 0-2 IIAC) hung with the Prairie Wolves in the day's first match. McKaylie Croghan (Manning, Iowa) led the charge with a career-high 13 kills, committing five errors in 38 attempts. Amy Schuster (Indianola, Iowa) contributed 11 kills to the cause while Lexie Hagerty (Tama, Iowa) distributed 31 assists. Defensively, Libero Monica Driscoll (Williamsburg, Iowa) had 22 digs.

Simpson couldn't break into the winning column in the match against Viterbo despite finishing within six points in each set. Schuster led the way in the final game of the tournament, hitting .345 with 12 kills. Hagerty had 25 assists and two service aces.

The Storm return to conference action next Wednesday, seeking their first IIAC win of the season against Buena Vista in Storm Lake. The match is set to start at 7:30 p.m.