Minot, N.D. – Minnesota Crookston volleyball ended the regular season with a dominant victory over the Beavers of Minot State on Saturday afternoon (25-17, 25-18, 25-23).
The Golden Eagles close out 2023 at 4-22 (2-16 NSIC).
Set One
The Golden Eagles would set the tone from the start.
Bailey Schaefer (Jr., DS/OH, Brandon, Minn.) would get the Golden Eagles on the board first with a kill. A pair of
Maya Jones (Fr., OH, New Braunfels, Texas) kills would help the Golden Eagles get out to a quick 5-0 lead.
Minnesota Crookston would eventually lead 13-7, capped off by a Schaefer kill.
Leading by five at 17-12, the Golden Eagles would score four in a row, helped by a Jones ace and a kill from
Mara Weisensel (Sr., MH, New Ulm, Minn.).
A ball handling error on the Beavers would end the set, as the Golden Eagles would never trail in the set and win by eight.
Set Two
The Beavers would lead by a point early, but back-to-back kills from Jones and
Madison Carsten (Fr., OH, Wadena, Minn.), a pair of outstanding freshmen would give the Golden Eagles a lead they wouldn't relinquish.
Another Carsten kill would put the Golden Eagles up by a point at 5-4 and would start a 3-0 run for the maroon and gold for a 7-4 lead.
The Golden Eagles would take control of the set with five straight points, started by a
Megan Schoenfelder (Fr., MH, Zumbrota, Minn.) kill.
The Beavers would get as close as six, but Jones would end the set with one of her game-high 14 kills, to put the Golden Eagles in complete control of the match, up by a pair.
Set Three
Set three would see the Beavers and Golden Eagles play a little tighter.
The Golden Eagles would lead early, but the Beavers would come back and take an 11-8 lead.
A service error and a Schaefer kill would help the Golden Eagles knot the score up at 11. Once again, the Beavers would lead by three at 14-11, but the Golden Eagles would come back and take a 17-16 lead in the set.
A Carsten service ace and a
Kailee Waasdorp (Fr., DS, West Fargo, N.D.) service ace would give the Golden Eagles separation at three.
The Beavers wouldn't go away, tying things at 23, but an attacking error by the Beavers and a kill from Schoenfelder would give the Golden Eagles the two point win in set three and the match in straight sets.
Individual Stats
Once again, Jones was the go-to attacker, finishing with 14 kills on 35 attacks, hitting a career-high .343 in the match. Schaefer added nine kills on 32 attacks, while Carsten and Weisensel added seven kills apiece.
The Golden Eagles were phenomenal defensively, having three players with double-digit digs, led by Waasdorp's 23. Carsten and Schaefer each added 14 digs.
As a team, the Golden Eagles hit .179 attacking.
Thank You Seniors
Today was the final match for seniors Weisensel and
Kora Norland (Sr., S, Fosston, Minn.). They have left a mark on the program and we wish them well in their future endeavors.
