Pueblo, Colo. – After a resounding opening season sweep over California State East Bay, Minnesota Crookston volleyball was looking to start 2-0 on the young 2024 season.
 
Minnesota Crookston would indeed start the season 2-0, as they would defeat the Greyhounds in four sets (25-13, 25-18, 18-25, 25-17).
 
Set One
As was a theme in the opening match against the Pioneers, the Golden Eagles would get off to a blazing fast start in the opening set against the Greyhounds.
 
Baily Teveldal (Fr., S, Baltic, S.D.) would open the match at the service line and went on a 3-0 run, including a service ace.
 
Following the timeout, ENMU would score two in a row, but Emma Malek (So., MB, Plainfield, Ill.) would end the brief run with her first kill of the match.
 
From that point, the Golden Eagles would go on a 4-0 run, bookended by a massive block by Maya Jones (So., OH, New Braunfels, Texas), forcing a timeout.
 
The timeout would do no good for the Greyhounds, as the Golden Eagles would continue to control the set.
 
Back-to-back kills from Lexi Scharold (Fr., MB, Alexandria, Kent.) would give the Golden Eagles their largest lead of the set at 13-4.
 
The Golden Eagles lead would get to double-digits following another service ace from Teveldal.
 
Later on in the set, another Scharold kill would get the Golden Eagles set point and they would eventually win the set by 12, 25-13.
 
Malek would lead the way with five kills on six total attacks in the first set. Madison Carsten (So., OH, Wadena, Minn.) and Scharold would each finish with four kills.
 
Set two
The middle set would start with the Greyhounds taking an early two point lead, but back-to-back errors by the Greyhounds would tie things up at four.
 
ENMU would once again take a two point lead at 6-4, but the Golden Eagles would score five in a row, including three kills from the freshman Scharold. With the Golden Eagles leading 9-6, the Greyhounds would take a timeout.
 
Following the timeout, the Golden Eagles would score four more points, capped off by a Jones ace.
 
The Greyhounds would try and chip away, but the Golden Eagles would continue to have an answer for every run.
 
The Golden Eagles would win set two by seven following a kill from Carizma Muth (R-Fr., OH, Randolph, Wis.).
 
Set Three
With their backs against the wall, the Greyhounds would get off to a quick 6-4 lead, but the Golden Eagles would answer with two straight points to tie it at six.
 
The Greyhounds would take a 14-11 lead, but the Golden Eagles would eventually tie the set at 14.
 
Leading Minnesota Crookston by one at 18-17, the Greyhounds would go on a 7-1 run to close out the set and win the set, 25-18.
 
Set Four
Once again, the Greyhounds would get off to a fast start in the fourth set, taking a 5-1 lead, but Carsten and Jones would get the Golden Eagles back in the set with a kill apiece.
 
Jones would give the Golden Eagles a two point lead with back-to-back kills.
 
Muth would go on a gigantic service run, helping the Golden Eagles score nine straight in the set and take a 10-5 lead.
 
The Golden Eagles would continue to have a cushion and take a 20-15 lead late and Jones would collect another kill to give the Golden Eagles a touchdown lead at 21-15.
 
The Golden Eagles would finish off the Greyhounds with a 25-17 win in set four to win the match in four sets.
 
Final Stats
The Golden Eagles had five attackers with 10 or more kills, led by Jones, who finished with 17 kills on 29 total attacks. Carsten, Malek, Muth and Scharold each finished with 10 kills in the match. The 10 kills are a career-high for the trio of Malek, Muth and Scharold.
 
Teveldal finished with her first career double-double, collecting 38 assists and 16 digs. Kailee Waasdorp (So., DS/Lib., West Fargo, N.D.) was up to her old ways, finishing with 18 digs and five assists. The Golden Eagles also finished the match with six service aces; the second time in as many days they have done that.
 
Minnesota Crookston hit .324 in the match, their highest total since 9/22/18, when they hit .321 against the University of Mary.
 
What's Next
The Golden Eagles will have one more match tonight, as they take on the hosts of the tournament, Colorado State Pueblo. First serve is set for 8:15 P.M., central time.