CROOKSTON, Minn. – The University of Minnesota Crookston volleyball team fell to Upper Iowa University 3-2 (23-25, 22-25, 25-23, 25-23, 15-11) Saturday night after getting out to a 2-0 lead on the Peacocks. The match was a great Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference (NSIC) battle as the team who won each set in the first four, won by no more than three points. The Golden Eagles had a strong night overall but were unable to close out crucial points in the fourth and fifth sets and gave up an early 7-1 lead to Upper Iowa in the fifth set.

The Golden Eagles have now lost three straight and fall to 8-10 (2-8 NSIC) with Saturday's loss. Upper Iowa improves to 10-8 (5-5 NSIC) with the win.

Saturday's match was perhaps the most balanced UMC's offensive attack has been all season. Brittany Looker (Sr., OH, Rochester, Minn./Health Science) led the way with 23 kills, her sixth match of the year with 20 or more kills. Kelci Green (R-Fr., MH, Anoka, Minn./Biology) had perhaps the strongest match of her young career with a career-high 12 kills and a .241 attack percentage. Stephanie Pearson (Jr., OH, Frankfort, Ill./Accounting) added 13 kills and hit .205. Morgan VanGerpen (Sr., MH/RS, Overland Park, Kan./Early Childhood Education) added seven kills and hit .385.

At setter, UMC again utilized the 6-2 as Sierra Trost (So., S, Ham Lake, Minn./Health Science) led the way with 30 assists. Kaycie Hagen (Fr., S, Savage, Minn./Health Science) added 24 assists.

Defensively, Mary Mikutowski (Sr., Lib., Stillwater, Minn./Health Science) put together one of the strongest matches of her career with 32 digs. Looker added 18 digs and is now just one dig shy of 1,000 digs, which would put her among an elite class of UMC players to have 1,000 kills and 1,000 digs along with Kendra Corneliusen and Joan Ebnet. Looker had a double-double for the match, as did Pearson with 10 digs and Trost with 14 digs. The UMC block was led by twins Kelci Green and Kassi Green (R-Fr., RS, Anoka, Minn./Elemenatary Education) with four block assists while Erin Schwarz (So., MH, Eden Prairie, Minn.) also added four block assists.

Upper Iowa was paced by the all-around play of Hailey Brown, who had a triple-double with 19 kills, 34 assists and 17 digs and added three block assists. Tyann Caspers added 11 kills on the night. Amanda Weiss led the defense with 29 digs while Kelsey Hinrichs had 19 and Jenna Hermsen had 15. The UIU block was led by Haylie Franklin's one solo block and five block assists.

The Golden Eagles took the first set. After being with one point at 24-23, Looker would come away with a big kill to give UMC the set 25-23. The Golden Eagles had nine kills and five errors to hit .129 in the first set.

UMC had a strong second set with 17 kills and a .271 hitting percentage. After being down 19-18 late in the second, two kills from Kelci Green and a kill from Looker, along with a Hinrichs' attack error would put UMC up 22-19. The Golden Eagles would hang on 25-22 for the set win to make it 2-0.

UMC would again have a strong third set, hitting .278 with 19 kills but would come up on the losing end. After being up 22-20, the Golden Eagles would struggle giving up two service aces and having two attack errors to aid Upper Iowa in a 25-23 set three win.

In set four, UMC would fight back late after being down 24-21, but an Alisha Vanderwoude kill would seal the 25-23 set win for Upper Iowa.

Upper Iowa would take control of the decisive fifth set early as attacking errors and bad sets plagued the Golden Eagles in the 15-11 set loss.

UMC will look to get back in the win column as they take on St. Cloud State University Tues., Oct. 14 at 7 p.m.

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).