CROOKSTON, Minn.— Minnesota State University Moorhead defeated the University of Minnesota Crookston 3-1 (26-28, 25-23, 25-22, 25-12) on Saturday afternoon Nov. 3 in the regular-season finale for both programs. The Golden Eagles played some of their best volleyball of the season, especially through the first three sets as they put a test to the Dragons. The tone was set early on as the Golden Eagles overcame a four-point lead late in set one to win 28-26. This would be the tone for the next two sets.
Before the match, Minnesota Crookston honored lone senior Callie Schapekahm (MH, Eagan, Minn.). Schapekahm came into the match with 316 kills in her career and she finished her career starting 56-straight games as a Golden Eagle. Schapekahm would have seven kills on the day to finish her career with 323.
The first three sets between the schools seventy miles apart each had one thing in common; they were back-and-forth affairs.
The first set was a back and forth affair with the Dragons leading for most of that set. The Dragons would lead 23-19, before the Golden Eagles would go on a four point run to tie it up at 23. The Dragons would have three chances to close out the first set, but those chances were shot down by the maroon and gold. Kaitlin Sikkink (R-Jr., MH, St. Charles, Minn.) would end the first set with a kill for the Golden Eagles. Minnesota Crookston would go up 1-0 in the match.
In that first set, the Dragons would have 19 kills with seven attack errors. Their hitting percentage was .222. The Golden Eagles had 19 kills in the set with five attack errors, while hitting .264.
The Dragons would bounce back in the second set with a 25-22 victory to tie the match at one a piece. The two teams displayed outstanding defense with points not being easy to come by for both squads. MSU Moorhead's lead got as big as five points in the second set at 17-12. The Golden Eagles would tie the set at 20 after a Porsha Porath (Fr., OH, Windom, Minn.) ace. The match would be knotted at 23 before the Dragons won the set on a kill and a Minnesota Crookston attack error.
The two teams would head into the break splitting the first two sets.
Set three would seem eerily similar to the first two sets. The set wouldn't see either team get back-to-back points until the Dragons did to go up 15-13. MSU Moorhead would eventually go up 17-13. The Golden Eagles would get as close as 22-21 in that third set, but the Dragons pulled away for the set three victory to go up two sets to one in the match.
The Dragons started out fast and furious in the fourth set starting out on a 9-1 run. That fast MSU Moorhead start was too much for the Golden Eagles who would fall in the set 25-12. The Dragons won three straight sets to end the regular season with a 3-1 victory.
Individually for Minnesota Crookston, Deaira Gresham (So., OH, Maplewood, Minn.) led the way with 18 kills, while Porath finished the day with 11 kills. Schapekahm and Sikkink each finished with seven kills. Lauren Wallace (R-Fr., OH, Bloomington, Minn.) finished the night with four kills. Sydney Kruisselbrink (So., S, Rochester, Minn.) had 40 assists. Katie Lienemann finished the night with 24 digs.
As a team, Minnesota Crookston finished the night with a hitting percentage of .166.
MSU Moorhead had four players reach double-digit kill totals, including Kaylyn Jenkins who finished with 18 kills. All-NSIC second team performer Monica Vega showed why she deserved that recognition, finishing the night with 31 digs.
The Golden Eagles finish the season at 4-24 overall and 2-18 in the NSIC. The Dragons wrap-up their 2018 campaign at 11-16 overall and 7-13 in the NSIC.
