Women’s soccer

NEW ULM — The Martin Luther College women’s soccer team was unable to slow down the Bethel University offense in a 7-1 nonconference loss on Monday.

The Knights struck first, as Emily Witkowski scored her first career collegiate goal off a Morgan Hill assist in the 15th minute to give the Knights a 1-0 lead.

The Royals took control from there, as they were able to get through the Knights’ sagging defense on the way to three goals in the first half, and then added four more in the second half on the way to the win.

MLC keeper Mollie Fischer did what she could in goal, stopping 28 of the Royals 35 shots on goal.

The Knights fell to 1-7 on the season in defeat. MLC will return to action on Wednesday when it travels to Viterbo.

Volleyball

NEW ULM — The MLC volleyball team battled St. Catherine University to a tough 3-0 defeat by the scores of 25-22, 25-22, 25-11 on Monday.

The two teams went back and forth in each of the first two sets. MLC held a 22-20 lead in the opening game before the Wildcats scored five straight points to take a 1-0 lead. In the second set, the Knights rallied to tie the score 22-22, but the Wildcats once again made the final run with three straight points to take a commanding lead.

Leading 10-7 in the third set, St. Kate’s rattled off 12 straight points on the way to finishing the three-set win.

Kati Aguilar led MLC with 13 kills, while Ruth Buchholz recorded 10 kills with an attack efficiency of .833 to go with a pair of blocks.

Jewel St. Germaine led the team in both assists (17) and digs (21). Katelyn Aswege finished with 16 digs for the Knights.

MLC fell to 4-12 on the season in defeat. St. Kate’s improved to 7-5 with the win.

The Knights will return to action on Wednesday when they travel to Northwestern for the final Upper Midwest Athletic Conference triangular of the season. MLC will face UW-Superior at 5 p.m. before playing Northwestern at 7 p.m.