DUBUQUE, Iowa – After a dismal .029 and .050 kill percentage in the first two sets Tuesday, Simpson fell behind on their way to dropping a 3-1 match to the Dubuque Spartans.

Simpson (8-10, 1-3 IIAC) rallied to take the third set behind a blistering .286 kill percentage, although their rally burnt out as Dubuque came back to take the third set 25-20.

Tabitha Blaser continued her strong season, leading the Storm with 14 kills, while freshman Elisa Wildy chipped in with 11. Katie Kieffer served up 31 assists for the night, reaching 680 assists for the season.

Dubuque’s Klaudia Basierak was too much for the Storm to handle as she put away 18 kills on her way to 22 points and .311 kills percentage. Hanna Zieser put on a clinic with 44 assists, while four Spartan players had at least 13 digs.

Simpson will jump into non-conference tournament play this weekend as they head to the Elmhurst (Ill.) Invitational for four matches, beginning with Bethany (W.V.) at 6 p.m. on Friday.