Crookston, Minn. – Minnesota Crookston won the first two sets on Friday night against Minot State, but the pesky Beavers would win the next three to stun the Lysaker Crowd of 615 in the home opener for Golden Eagle volleyball (25-20, 25-18, 23-25, 22-25, 14-16).
 
Minnesota Crookston falls to 2-9 (0-3 NSIC), while the Beavers improve to 2-9 (1-2 NSIC).
 
Set One
Minot State would jump out to a fast start in the opening set, taking a 6-3 lead, but the Golden Eagles would make it 6-5 following a Beavers service error and an Emma Malek (Fr., MH, Plainfield, Ill.) service ace.
 
The Golden Eagles would score seven points in a row, book-ended by a pair of Madison Carsten (Fr., OH, Wadena, Minn.) service aces.
 
The Beavers would respond and make it a 17-17 set, but the Golden Eagles would score eight of the next 11 points, capped off by an Audrey Cariveau (So., OH, Kevil, Kent.) kill.
 
Set Two
Once again, Minot State would jump out to an early lead, this one at 5-3. Minnesota Crookston would answer back with a 4-0 run of their own, highlighted by a Maya Jones (Fr., OH, New Braunfels, Texas) service ace.
 
Later on in the set, the Golden Eagles would go on different runs of 3-0 and 4-0 and would eventually stretch their lead to 21-12, highlighted by two straight kills from Carsten.
 
MSU would try to get back in the set, but Mara Weisensel (Sr., MH, New Ulm, Minn.) would end the set with a huge kill on a free ball.
 
Set Three
The Golden Eagles would score the first two points of the set, which would force an extremely early timeout from the Beavers.
 
Turned out to be a great timeout from Minot State.
 
The Beavers would take a 10-7 lead, but three straight points by the Golden Eagles would knot things up at 10.
 
The Golden Eagles could never seem to gain any traction in the third set.
 
Minot State would go up 24-20 and have four set points, but the Golden Eagles would score three straight on back-to-back kills from Carsten and a kill from Weisensel.
 
Bailee Brommenschenkel would end the set with a kill that landed just inside the end line for a 25-23 set three win.
 
Set Four
Minot State would come out and control the fourth set early on, taking a 10-5 lead, but it would be halted with a service ace and a kill from Carsten.
 
Trailing 24-21, Jones would collect one of her career-high 18 kills to cut the lead to two, but once again, the Ada native Brommenschenkel would end the set with a kill.
 
Set Five
For the second straight year, the Golden Eagles home opener would go five sets with the Beavers.
 
A Cariveau kill and a Beaver error would get the Golden Eagles a quick 2-0 lead. Minot State would answer with four straight, but the run would be halted with a service error.
 
Trailing 9-8, the Golden Eagles would go on a 3-0 run, highlighted by a Malek kill.
 
The Beavers would make it 13-12, but an attacking error from Taylor Wyatt would put the Golden Eagles at match point.
 
The Beavers would score the next point, making it 14-13.
 
The next rally, the Golden Eagles went to Jones to try and end the match, something the entire crowd thought that she did. The Beavers would challenge and after a 10 minute review, the call was overturned that there wasn't a touch at the net, tying the match at 14.
 
The Beavers would score the next two points following the review, taking the set by two and the match, three sets to two.
 
Stats
Jones would finish the night with a career-high 18 kills on 42 total attacks, hitting .286 in the match. Fellow freshman Carsten was just as good, finishing with 16 kills on 40 total swings and 10 digs, her second double-double of her career. Her 16 kills and .325 attacking percentage were both career bests. Cariveau ended the night with eight kills, while Weisensel added five. Malek and Dana Melby (R-Fr., S, Gonvick, Minn.) finished with three kills.
 
Melby ended the night with a career-high 41 assists and two service aces, to go along with 11 digs, her fourth double-double of the year. Kailee Waasdorp (Fr., DS, West Fargo, N.D.) collected a team-high 19 digs.
 
What's Next
Minnesota Crookston will be back in action tomorrow afternoon at 2 P.M., as they welcome in the Marauders of The University of Mary.