Odessa, Texas – Minnesota Crookston volleyball was back in action on Friday for two matches, starting with the Rattlers of St. Mary's University (Texas).
 
The Golden Eagles would play well, but fall in three sets to St. Mary's (19-25, 19-25, 21-25).
 
Set One
After struggling yesterday against host school Texas-Permian Basin, the Golden Eagles would play much better in their opening set on Friday.
 
St. Mary's would score the first two points of the set, but the maroon and gold would answer with a kill from Emma Malek (Fr., OH/RS, Plainfield, Ill.).
 
The Rattlers would extend their lead to 8-3, but the Golden Eagles would slowly chip away at the lead, starting with a Madison Carsten (Fr., OH, Wadena, Minn.) kill.
 
The Golden Eagles would trail 11-6, but they would score seven of the sets next eight points, highlighted by a set of kills from Carsten and Megan Schoenfelder (Fr., MH/RS, Zumbrota, Minn.).
 
The set would later be tied at 16, but StMU would later pull away for the six point win in the opening set.
 
Set Two
The second set would start out well for the Golden Eagles. The Rattlers would score the first point, but the Golden Eagles would rattle off five straight, capped off by a Schoenfelder kill.
 
The Rattlers would eventually take a 7-6 lead, but Malek would knot the set up with a kill.
 
St. Mary's would then go on a 5-0 run for a five-point lead.
 
Later on in the set, the Rattlers would lead 18-13, but the Golden Eagles would lean on Schoenfelder and Carsten to cut the lead to 18-16, forcing a Rattlers timeout.
 
From that point, the Golden Eagles would get within two, two different occasions, but would still fall, 25-19 in the second set.
 
Set Three
The Golden Eagles would look to stay alive in set number three.
 
Fast starts were a theme for the Rattlers and that would be the same occasion in the third set. StMU would lead 4-1, but the Golden Eagles would cut the lead to one on the back of a Schoenfelder kill.
 
St. Mary's would eventually lead 9-3, but a Mara Weisensel (Sr., MH, New Ulm, Minn.) would help the Golden Eagles get back within three at 10-7.
 
The maroon and gold would trail 14-8, but a 5-0 run by the Golden Eagles, including three kills from Audrey Cariveau (So., OH, Kevil, Kent.) in that stretch got the Golden Eagles back within one at 14-13.
 
The Golden Eagles would be within one on two different occasions towards the end of the set, but could never knock down the door, falling 25-21 in the third set, losing the match, three sets to none.
 
Stats
Cariveau finished with a team-high 11 kills on 38 total attacks and two digs. Weisensel finished with eight kills on 22 total attacks, while Schoenfelder finished with a career-high six kills on 19 total attacks, also a career-high.
 
Kailee Waasdorp (Fr., DS, West Fargo, N.D.) finished with 22 digs in the back row, while Bailey Schaefer (Jr., DS, Brandon, Minn.) and Dana Melby (R-Fr., S, Gonvick, Minn.) each finished with nine digs. Melby also added 29 assists in the match.
 
What's Next
It will be a quick turnaround for the Golden Eagles, who will now play at 3 P.M. against University of the Southwest.