Sometimes, she is the first line of offense. Other times, she is the last line of defense. Either way, senior volleyballer Amelia Jensen has been a rock all season for the Pipers, who take a 10-9 overall record and a 4-5 conference slate into the final week of the season.Â
The Omaha, Neb. native was in fine form last Saturday, coming up with 27 digs -- one short of her season high -- in Hamline's 3-1 win at St. Olaf that kept the team's playoff hopes alive. She had a team high 11 in a 3-0 loss to league leader Augsburg in midweek.
For the season, Jensen has 324 digs, averaging nearly five a set. She should pass the 900 mark this week when the Pipers host Wis-Superior (Monday, 7 p.m.), Gustavus Adolphus (Wednesday, 7 p.m.) and St. Catherine (Saturday, 5 p.m.) at Hutton Arena. Â The middle match will be Jensen's 100th of her Hamline career.
In addition to protecting the back wall, Jensen has unleashed a team leading 29 service aces. Her average of 0.44 per set ranks fourth in the MIAC. It is the highest total for a HU volleyballer since Lynsey Reimer had 37 in 2013.Â
The Pipers start the week tied for seventh place with Carleton and Concordia. But they trail sixth place Bethel -- current occupants of the last playoff spot -- by a half game and are only one game behind fourth place St. Benedict.
