DURANT, Okla. – The University of Minnesota Crookston volleyball program concluded the 2017 South Central Classic Sat., Sept. 2 with a 3-0 (25-23, 25-19, 25-20) loss to Ouachita Baptist University. The Golden Eagles were within six points of the Lady Tigers of all three sets but were unable to come away with the victory.
 
Minnesota Crookston falls to 1-3 on the season after playing a tough schedule of games in the South Central Classic. Ouachita Baptist went 4-0 in the tournament. The combined records of the four teams U of M Crookston competed against in Durant, Okla., is 12-4.
 
The Golden Eagles looked to Kassi Green (R-Sr., OH, Anoka, Minn.), who concluded a great start to her season with 15 kills and a .257 hitting percentage. Green is averaging 4.33 kills per set on the season with a .239 hitting percentage. In addition to Kassi Green, her twin sister Kelci Green (R-Sr., MH, Anoka, Minn.) chipped in nine kills and hit .313 for the match. Callie Schapekahm (Jr., MH, Eagan, Minn.) finished with five kills, as did Deaira Gresham (Fr., OH, Maplewood, Minn.).
 
At setter, Kaycie Hagen (Sr., S, Savage, Minn.) paced the squad with 30 assists. She led the U of M Crookston to 40 kills and 14 errors with a .221 hitting percentage.
 
Defensively, Maggie Perrel (R-Sr., DS/OH, New Germany, Minn.) paced Minnesota Crookston with eight digs, while Kassi Green added six digs. On the block, the Golden Eagles looked to two block assists apiece from Schapekahm and Kaitlin Sikkink (R-So., MH, St. Charles, Minn.).
 
Ouachita Baptist looked to 10 kills apiece from Adrianna Nolly and Kori Bullard. Tabatha Huckabee added nine kills, while Katie Camp chipped in seven kills.
 
At setter, Stormi Leonard paced the Lady Tigers with 40 assists. Ouachita Baptist would hit .269 on the match with 41 kills and 16 errors.
 
Defensively, Ouachita Baptist looked to Nikki Clay with 12 digs, while Paige Williams added six digs.
 
Minnesota Crookston got out to a 7-3 lead following a kill from Sikkink. The Golden Eagles would extend their lead to 11-6 before the Lady Tigers would charge back with a 5-0 run tying it up 11-11 on a Kelci Green attack error. Minnesota Crookston countered with a 4-0 run as they went ahead 15-11 led by two kills from Kassi Green. Ouachita Baptist would knot the set up again at 17-17 on a Schapekahm attack error. The Golden Eagles again responded with a 3-0 run culminating in a kill from Gresham to make it 20-17. However, the Lady Tigers countered with a 6-0 run to make it 23-20. Ouachita Baptist would take the frame 25-23.
 
The Lady Tigers got out to an 8-6 advantage in the second set following a kill from Katie Camp. Minnesota Crookston would come back and tie up the set at 8-8 following a Tori Barnhill attack error. The Lady Tigers took the lead and would extend it to 16-10 on a Paige Williams kill. The U of M Crookston would pull within 19-16 on a Nolly attack error. However, that would be as close as it would get as Ouachita Baptist took the second frame 25-19.
 
The Lady Tigers got out to a 7-3 lead in the third set on a Hagen ball handling error. The Golden Eagles came back again, a common trend in Saturday's second match of the day. They knotted the game up at 10-10 on a Kassi Green kill. Ouachita Baptist would lead by only 14-13 in the third set following a Kassi Green kill. However, the Lady Tigers used a 5-0 run to extend the lead to 19-13. Minnesota Crookston cut the lead to 22-19 on an Ali Schueler (R-So., DS, Howards Grove, Wis.) service ace. However, the Lady Tigers would hang on to win the set 25-20 and the match 3-0.
 
Minnesota Crookston will return to action at the Northern State Invitational in Aberdeen, S.D. Sept. 8-9. The Golden Eagles will face Minot State University and South Dakota School of Mines on the first day of action. They will wrap up competition at the tournament with games against Minnesota State University-Mankato and Northern State University.