Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 Pueblo, Colo. – The University of Minnesota Crookston Volleyball team opened up their season at the Steel City Showcase for two matches with Fort Hays State and Chadron State. The Golden Eagles lost both matches in three sets to open up play in Pueblo, Colo.

The Golden Eagles fall to 0-2 on the young 2021 season.

Match One
In the opening match against Fort Hays State, the Golden Eagles fell behind 4-2, but Bailey Schaefer (Fr., OH, Brandon, Minn.) collected her first-career kill in a Golden Eagle uniform to cut the lead to 4-3.

The Golden Eagles would use three Tiger errors to take an 8-7 lead midway through the first set. The Golden Eagles would take a three-point lead following a Natalie Koke (R-Jr., S, Caledonia, Wis.) service ace.

Trailing 20-18, Charlee Krieg (So., MH, Cavalier, N.D.) would collect a kill to cut the Tiger lead to just one.

FHSU would score the final three points to win the opening set of the season, 25-21.

The Tigers would control set number two as well, winning 25-13.

In set three, the Tigers would score the first four points, but the young Golden Eagles would not go away quietly. Lauren Wallace (R-Sr., OH, Bloomington, Minn.) and Mara Weisensel (So., MH, New Ulm, Minn.) would collect kills to knot the set up at four.

The Golden Eagles would take an 8-6 lead after a Koke kill.

Trailing by four once again, the maroon and gold would once again score four straight points, highlighted by a Grace Arndorfer (Fr., MH, Lino Lakes, Minn.) kill.

Minnesota Crookston would cut the lead to 20-19, but the Tigers would pull away to win the set, 25-19 and the match, three sets to none.

Individually, Minnesota Crookston was led by Wallace and Weisensel, who each collected nine kills. Schaefer collected a career-high seven kills as well. Koke collected a career-high 27 assists, while also serving two aces and gathered in four digs.

Minnesota Crookston hit .229 as a team.
Match Two
The Eagles were able to sweep the Golden Eagles in match number two on the day for both teams.

We were not able to get individual stats for the match.

What's Next
Minnesota Crookston will wrap-up the Steel City Showcase tomorrow as they play Rollins College (Fla.) at 10 A.M., and then will play host school CSU Pueblo to close out the Showcase at 8 P.M.