St. Cloud, Minn.—The University of Minnesota Crookston volleyball team traveled to St. Cloud, Minn., to compete in the Best Western Plus Kelly Inn Huskies Volleyball Classic hosted by NSIC rival St. Cloud State University.
 
After finishing 1-3 last weekend, the Golden Eagles were looking to wrap-up the non-conference schedule on a high note with four matches today and tomorrow. The Golden Eagles had a tough test early this morning with 13^th-ranked Wheeling University (WV).
 
The Cardinals proved why they are one of the top teams in the nation, beating the Golden Eagles in three sets. The loss drops the Golden Eagles to 1-4 on the season.
 
Match 1—vs. Wheeling University
The Golden Eagles played the Cardinals well, including in set number two, where the maroon and gold fell short 25-22, but the 2015 National Champions proved to be too much, sweeping the Golden Eagles (17-25, 22-25, 12-25).
 
Key Players
Minnesota Crookston
Porsha Porath, 12 kills, 39 total attacks, 6 digs, 3 blocks
Lauren Wallace, 3 kills, 3 digs
Sydney Kruisselbrink, 2 kills, 15 assists, 6 digs
 
Key Players
Wheeling University
Breanna Kramer, 12 kills, 37 total attacks, 12 digs
Haley Kramer, 11 kills, 17 total attacks, .647 hitting percentage
Cassie Meyer, 8 kills, 6 digs
Stephanie Sylvester, 40 assists, 11 digs
 
The Golden Eagles jumped out to a 2-0 lead in set one, helped by a Cardinals attacking error and a Lauren Wallace (R-So., OH, Bloomington, Minn.) kill. The Cardinals came back with six points in a row to lead the first set 6-2.
Minnesota Crookston would answer right back with the help of back-to-back kills from Sydney Kruisselbrink (Jr., S, Rochester, Minn.) and Porsha Porath (So., OH, Windom, Minn.).
 
The Cardinals would stretch their lead out to 19-10, which was the biggest of that first set and wouldn't look back, winning set one, 25-17.
 
In set number two, the Golden Eagles arguably played their best set of the early season. Yet again, Minnesota Crookston jumped out to a quick 2-0 lead helped by two Cardinal errors.
 
Minnesota Crookston would use four Cardinal errors to jump out to a 4-1 lead, but the Cardinals would eventually climb back into the set and knot things up at five apiece. The Golden Eagles would score four in a row, including three straight thunderous kills from Sabrina Leuer (R-Sr., OH, Hamel, Minn.), who had two in a row and another from Hannah Stark (So., OH, Esko, Minn.).
 
Later on in the set, the Cardinals would take a 13-11 lead, but the Golden Eagles would answer right back, tying things up. That would be the third tie in the second set.
 
Wheeling University would lead 20-19, before scoring two in a row. Minnesota Crookston would try to answer back, but the Cardinals were able to hold off the Golden Eagles in a wild second set, 25-22.
 
In set number three, the Cardinals got off to a quick 7-1 lead and never looked back, defeating the Golden Eagles 25-12, to win the match.
 
Match 2—vs Lake Superior State
The Golden Eagles would look to rebound against Lake Superior State, a team the Golden Eagles lost to in five sets less than a week prior. The Golden Eagles dominated set number two, but it wasn't enough, as the Golden Eagles fell in four sets to drop to 1-5 on the season (25-27, 25-12, 21-25, 25-17).
 
Key Players
Minnesota Crookston
Porsha Porath, 15 kills, 46 total attacks, .239 hitting percentage
Hannah Stark, 10 kills, 2 blocks, 4 digs
Sabrina Leuer, 10 kills, .318 hitting percentage, 4 digs
Natalie Koke, 17 assists
 
Key Players
Lake Superior State
Camdyn Odykirk, 14 kills, .417 hitting percentage
Amanda Reid, 13 kills, 40 total attacks, 10 digs
Abby Beachnau, 18 digs
 
These two programs are very familiar with each other and it showed in the first set this afternoon. The Lakers would jump out to a fast start, leading 7-3 through ten points. The Golden Eagles would slowly chip away and tie the score at 11 and even take a 12-11 lead following an attack error by Bethany Wilson of LSSU.
 
The Lakers would score four in a row to lead 15-12, but once again the maroon and gold would chip away and tie the game up at 16. Eventually, Minnesota Crookston would lead 20-18, their biggest lead of set one.
 
After a kill from Leuer, Minnesota Crookston was set point away from leading 1-0, but the Lakers would come back and tie the set at 24 all.
 
Minnesota Crookston would once again have set point, but a Koke service error opened the door for the Lakers, who took the first set thriller, 27-25.
 
Set two would be all Golden Eagles. Minnesota Crookston would use three straight Ali Schueler (R-Sr., DS/Lib., Howards Grove, Wis.) aces and the right arm of standout sophomore Porsha Porath to pull away in set two.
 
The Lakers would get as close as 20-12, but Minnesota Crookston scored five straight points from that score, to win set two in dominating fashion, 25-12.
 
With the match tied at one, the Lakers would take control of the match and win the next two sets, 21-25 and 17-25, respectively.
 
The Golden Eagles will look to rebound tomorrow with matches against Michigan Tech starting at 11 a.m., and South Dakota School of Mines and Technology at 5 p.m., from St. Cloud.