(Crookston, Minn.)- The University of Minnesota, Crookston Volleyball team opens a busy UMC Homecoming week when the team squares off against the University of Sioux Falls on Tuesday night at 7 p.m. The Golden Eagles return to NSIC play on Friday and Saturday. Friday night UMC hosts Minnesota State, Mankato at 7 p.m. followed by a 5 p.m. match with Southwest Minnesota State University on Saturday.
 
Minnesota, Crookston (5-8, 1-4 NSIC)- The Golden Eagle Volleyball team went 1-1 in NSIC play this week. Minnesota, Crookston fell 3-0 to #1 ranked Concordia University, St. Paul before beating St. Cloud State 3-2. Brittany Looker (OH, 5-10, Fr., Rochester, Minn.) led the Golden Eagle offense against CSP with eight kills in the match. Against SCSU, Minnesota, Crookston was led by outstanding play from Morgan VanGerpen (MH, 6-0, Fr., Overland Park, Kan.) who led UMC with a career-high 13 kills and a match-high .409 (13K-4E-22TA) attack percentage. She also played strong in the front court tallying one solo block and three assisted blocks. Looker followed VanGerpen with 12 kills while Amanda Swann (OH, 6-0, Jr., Rochester, Mich.) finished with 11 kills. The Golden Eagles as a team finished with eight service aces and 10 total blocks against the Huskies. In sets four and five, the score was tied 12 ties but the lead changed only twice as the Golden Eagles held the Huskies at bay in the five set victory. Looker finished the week with 20 kills while Swann finished with 16. Minnesota, Crookston hosts three games this week. UMC takes on Sioux Falls on Tuesday before returning to action on Friday and Saturday to play Minnesota State and Northern State.
 
University of Sioux Falls (3-14)- The University of Sioux Falls is led offensively by Emily Johnson who has 133 kills in 15 matches. The Cougars are led at the setter position by Charlee Nelson who has tallied 285 assists on the season.
 
Minnesota State, Mankato (9-4, 2-3 NSIC)- The No. 14 Minnesota State Mavericks went 1-2 last week with their win coming against Bemidji State (3-1) while losing to No. 7 Southwest Minnesota State and No. 5 Minnesota Duluth...The Mavericks were led the past three games by junior outside hitter Chelsea Fogarty who recorded 41 kills (3.73 per set)...Fogarty also tallied four assists, 29 digs and five total blocks...Senior setter Brittany Stamer once again led the Mavericks in assists as she tallied 108 of the teams 126 assists...Sophomore outside hitter Jenna McNallan led the Mavericks in digs the last three games with 39 (3.55 per set)...MSU has lost three of its last four matches as it will play its next four matches away from home.
 
Southwest Minnesota State (10-3, 4-1 NSIC)- #13 Brooke Burmeister (OH, 5-10, Jr., Lakefield, Minn.) connected on a match-high 23 kills in a five-set loss to No. 5 Minnesota Duluth on Friday night in Marshall. In three matches, Burmeister had 51 kills, including 16 against Bemidji State and 12 against St. Cloud State. The junior outside accounted for five service aces, 24 digs, and nine total blocks. #11 Cara Carson (S, 5-10, Sr., Omaha, Neb.) recorded 133 set assists (11.08 assists/set) in the last three matches for Southwest Minnesota State. She set the Mustangs up to hit .311 over the stretch. Carson added 11 kills, 33 digs, and eight block assists. The senior setter tied her career-high picking up 19 digs against Minnesota Duluth on Friday. #4 Brittany Wenzel (L, 5-7, Sr., Chaska, Minn.) led the back row for Southwest Minnesota State with 52 digs (4.33 digs/set) in three matches. She led the Mustangs with 20 digs in a loss to Minnesota Duluth onFriday.
 
For more information, visit the Golden Eagle Athletics website at: www.goldeneaglesports.com.
 
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The University of Minnesota, Crookston is an NCAA Division II Institution and a member of the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference (NSIC). The Golden Eagle Equestrian team is a member of the Intercollegiate Horse Show Association (IHSA).
 
 
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