The Simpson volleyball team turned out a 3-0 win Wednesday night against the Dubuque Spartans. This win puts them at a 5-1 record in the Iowa Conference with only two matches left to go and the hunt for the championship underway.

“We were really good at keeping the momentum going for all three matches,” assistant volleyball coach Ryan Baumgartner said. “Hopefully we’ll be able to keep this up for the rest of the conference. The only thing we need to work at is keeping constant control of the tempo, which I think these players can do as long as they keep their focus.”

The Storm showed stamina offensively. Senior outside hitter Lara Gillespie finished the night with 10 kills. Senior middle hitter Whitney Oviatt turned in 13. Senior setter Tara Christensen passed that 5,000 assist mark.

“Serving and hitting went pretty well throughout the night,” freshman outside hitter McKaylie Croghan said. “One thing we need to work on defensively is getting all of our blocks in.”

Only one score happened off a block the whole night. The Storm allowed 26 kills from their opponents throughout the game. However, there were still a couple block attempts and only one block error, which show room for improvement on the Storm’s side.

Defensive digs are high in numbers. Gillespie and senior libero Brittany Friesth led the box with 12 and 14 digs respectively throughout the three matches. With quick solid movements and accuracy, Storm’s defense provides an aid in the conference, along with their powerhouse offense.

Simpson volleyball is only weeks away from the final conference championship.