MADISON, Wis. — Milwaukee Area Technical College came out swinging Wednesday night but couldn't keep pace with No. 16-ranked Madison College, falling 3-1 despite a strong opening set.

The Stormers claimed the first frame 26-24 behind a blistering .395 hitting percentage and 18 kills, but their offense cooled quickly. MATC hit just .111 in both the second and third sets, followed by a .065 mark in the fourth as Madison rallied to win the match (24-26, 25-16, 25-14, 25-15).

"We had a great first set and then the wheels came off," MATC head coach Shel DeLisle said.

Freshman outside hitter Kayleah Laughlin and sophomore outside hitter Rachel Krueger continued their strong play, combining for 17 of the team's 33 kills. Laughlin led with nine kills on a .280 hitting percentage, adding eight digs, two blocks and an ace for a team-high 11.5 points. Krueger chipped in eight kills on a .286 clip with 10 digs.

Freshman setters Grace Adams and Hope Martens directed the offense. Adams finished one dig shy of a double-double with 12 assists and nine digs, while Martens posted a team-high 13 assists and six digs.

Sophomore Natalia Farrugia was efficient at the net, recording seven kills on 13 swings for a .538 hitting percentage. Second-year libero Kim Busateri anchored the back row with a team-best 18 digs.

UP NEXT
MATC (26-7) will look to regroup with a quick turnaround at the Buffalo Wild Wings & Corktown Pizza Timberwolves Quad in Petoskey, Michigan. The Stormers open play against St. Clair County Community College at 5:30 p.m. Friday, followed by an 8:30 a.m. matchup Saturday against North Central Michigan College. They'll wrap up the event against Kankakee Community College at 10:30 a.m.