Box Score CROOKSTON, Minn. – The University of Minnesota Crookston volleyball team hung with the No. 2 team in the nation, University of Minnesota Duluth, for one-and-a-half sets but UMD dialed in and was able to pick up the 3-0 (25-23, 25-16, 25-10) win over the Golden Eagles. The Golden Eagles fall to 7-5 (1-3 NSIC) with the loss. Minnesota Duluth improves to 11-1 (4-0 NSIC). UMD's only loss on the season came to current No. 1 team University of Tampa.
UMD did their best to limit the looks from 2013 All-NSIC First Team pick
Brittany Looker (Sr., OH, Rochester, Minn./Health Science) as she had just four kills on 34 attempts with five errors. UMC did get a strong performance out of middle hitter
Morgan VanGerpen (Sr., MH, Overland Park, Kan./Early Childhood Education), who had eight kills and hit .278 for the match.
Kassi Green (R-Fr., RS, Anoka, Minn./Elementary Education) had five kills and hit .231.
Setter
Sierra Trost (So., Ham Lake, Minn./Health Science) finished the game with 21 assists as the Golden Eagles hit .116 for the match. Defensively,
Stephanie Pearson (Jr., OH, Frankfort, Ill./Accounting) led the way with eight digs, while Trost led the block with four block assists.
Minnesota Duluth utilized their multi-faceted attack, as they finished with 51 kills and a .376 hitting percentage. Mariah Scharf led the way with 18 kills and a .333 hitting percentage, while middle hitter Monica Turner chipped in 15 kills and hit a remarkable .700 for the match with just one error. At setter, Ashley Hinsch paced the Bulldogs with 43 assists.
Defensively, UMD looked to libero Julie Rainey's 18 digs, while Katie Ledwell added 10.
The Golden Eagles came out of the chute strong as they battled point-for-point with the Bulldogs through the first set, eventually falling 25-23 after being knotted up 23-23. UMD ended the set with a kill from Monica Turner and an attack error from UMC. UMC was down at one time 18-13, but UMC would take seven of eight points from the Bulldogs to take a 21-20 lead, led by four kills from VanGerpen. UMD would take five of the last seven points to take the set.
In set two, UMC would hold with the Bulldogs for the first 28 points as they were knotted up 14-14 with the No. 2 team in the nation. However kills from Ledwell and Sydnie Mauch would help get UMD out to an 18-14 lead. After a kill from VanGerpen, the Bulldogs would rattle off six straight points and would finish it off with a kill from Scharf to take the set 25-16, after being tied 14-14.
UMD would dominate the third set, taking it 25-10.
The Golden Eagles will take on No. 7 Southwest Minnesota State University Sept. 26 at 7 p.m., marking their fourth-straight match against a ranked opponent. UMC will then take on University of Sioux Falls at 4 p.m. Sat., Sept. 27.
Follow the Golden Eagles on Facebook at Golden Eagle Sports and on Twitter at @UMCAthletics.
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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