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Feb. 28, 2019
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The Lorian
Volleyball team to host undefeated conference foe Saturday by Jon Quinn sports editor
The men’s volleyball team has not competed in two weeks as a result of its most recent scheduled match being canceled due to inclement weather. The Duhawks, who have a 10-3 record this season, are eager to get back to action this weekend with a couple of conference matches, including one that looms especially large for the Duhawks. Loras will host Greenville University Panthers in an MCVL Conference matchup in the Athletic & Wellness Center on Friday, Mar. 1, at 7 p.m. Another conference foe, Fontbonne University Griffins, will invade Dubuque on March 2, where they will face off with the Duhawks at 7 p.m. in the AWC. Greenville comes to Dubuque with a 7-7 overall record. The team averages about 11.46 kills per a set and a .246 hitting percentage. Loras averages about 12.1 kills per set while holding their opponents to only 9.3 kills per set. Fontbonne comes is undefeated, 120, so far this season and it has swept Greenville twice already this season, most recently this past Saturday. The Griffins average about 12.86 kills per set while holding a .305 hitting percentage. The team also averages about 1.59 aces and 12.27 digs per set. Interestingly, Loras also is strong from the service line. with both team being fairly offensively strong, averaging 2.2 service aces per set while holding their opponents to 1.0. The Duhawks average about 9.3 digs per set, more than three digs per set lower than the Griffins. Last year, the Duhawks toppled the Griffins at their own gym in a five-set thriller. This year’s matchup looks to be another hard-fought battle, as both teams are well aware of the potential postseason implications of their matchup. “I think one thing I’m really (going) to emphasize this week is playing our game,” said head coach Jeremy Thornburg. “We (have to) work on limiting our errors a little bit more, both from the service line and from hitting, but we’re trying to get everyone healthy and trying to get everyone back.”
file photo courtesy of Loras College Athletics The entire softball team from the 2018 season gathers after a victory at home. This year’s team will look different after the graduation of seven seniors from last year’s team.
‘A whole different team’
After losing 7 seniors to graduation, softball team seeks to bond while stuck in Minnesota for the weekend by Jon Quinn sports editor
The softball team kicked off their season this past weekend in Rochester, MN, with games against St. Catherine University and the University of Wisconsin-Stout. For a recap of those games, both of which Loras lost,please visit duhawks.com. “These first two games gave us an opportunity to see how we would play as a team,” said sophomore outfielder and first-baseman Maddie Doubek. “We are a whole different group of than last year and we needed to figure out how we fit together.” The team was supposed to return to campus that Saturday night, but it was stuck in Minnesota until Monday night after a highway was closed because of some nasty weather. “It was definitely a surprise, but it gave us all a chance to bond,” said Doubek. “It gives us an advantage going into the season because we have already formed the family bonds that would normally take until a few weeks into our season.” The head coach Ashley Winter returns to Loras for her tenth season to be the hub of the Duhawk softball team. Winter led the Duhawks to the conference tournament semifinals in 2017 for the first time since 2011. Returner senior third-baseman Ashley Lentine is taking her fourth and final campaign as a Duhawk after being selected as a second team all-conference performer back in 2017. Although the Chicago native hit a batting average of .349, she led Loras with a .587 slugging percentage while starting in all 38 games. Lentine looks to improve those hitting numbers and return to the all-conference team at the end of the
2019 season. Junior pitcher Emily Reilly will be wearing purple & gold for the third year in a row for the Duhawk rotation. Reilly pitched in 111 innings over 20 games finishing the season with a 2.51 ERA and a 1.37 WHIP. In addition, Reilly held opponents to a .290 batting average while throwing 13 complete games. The team was also picked to finish seventh in the American Rivers Conference due to their record last year and compared to the other teams in the conference. The team with the most wins last year, which was Luther College, found themselves at the top of the 2019 preseason coaches poll. The Duhawks plan to start their conference play Saturday, Mar. 30 in Lincoln, Nebraska at Nebraska Wesleyan University before they return to
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It was definitely a surprise but it gave us all a chance to bond. It gives us an advantage going into the season because we have already formed the family bonds that would normally take until a few weeks into our season.
Maddie Doubek
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Sophomore outfielder/ first baseman
Faber-Clark in Dubuque for a Tuesday matchup with the preseason league favorite, Luther College. “The plan this season is play to our full potential,” said Doubek. “We have a lot of talent on the team and are all our own. It obviously is also our goal to win the first ARC title!” As the season progresses, acknowledging where the team
was in the previous season will set them up for this season. Some individuals the team graduated last year was short stop Bria Lenten who was a mainstay for the Duhawks in the infield. Lenten started in over 150 games and concluded her season with a batting average of .379 along with seven doubles and four home runs, earning an honorable mention by the league. Another key player loss for the Duhawks would be outfielder Hannah Towns who started all 38 games for Loras in the outfield. Towns hit a career best .364 with 22 RBIs on her way to being selected as a Second Team All-Conference selection as a Junior. The Duhawks next c omp e t it i on d ay s w i l l b e at the Augsburg Dome in wMinneapolis, Minnesota against Crown College on Mar. 8 at 1:30 p.m. and 3:30 p. m . T h e y w i l l a l s o p l ay Nor thland C ollege that Saturday and University of Wi s c on s i n - L a C ro s s e on Sunday, March 10.
