UMC VOLLEYBALL LOSES TWO MATCHES AT ST. CLOUD STATE INVITE

The University of Minnesota Crookston (UMC) Golden Eagles Volleyball squad lost to #14 Wheeling Jesuit University (WV) 3-0 (25-17, 25-22, 25-12) and lost to Lake Superior State (Mich) 3-1 (27-25, 12-25, 25-21, 25-17)  St. Cloud State Invitational at Halenbeck Hall. 

UMC VS WHEELING JESUIT-
UMC suffered a slow start in their early morning match against Wheeling University, the 14th ranked team in the nation. Following a Cardinals’ error on the first point of the match, Lauren Wallace (R-Soph., Bloomington) spiked a kill giving Minnesota Crookston an early 2-0 lead. Wheeling responded by winning the next six points taking a 6-2 lead. Kills by Sydney Kruisselbrink (Jr., Rochester) and Porsha Porath (Soph., Windom) followed by a Cardinals’ attacking error trimmed the Golden Eagles deficit down to 6-5. Wheeling countered winning six of the next seven points expanding its lead to 12-6. After pulling within 12-8, Minnesota Crookston failed to trim their deficit to less than five the rest of the opening set falling 25-17.

Wheeling committed four errors in the first five points allowing the Golden Eagles to take an early 4-1 lead in the second set. The Cardinals closed the gap to 4-3, before a kill by Sabrina Leuer (R-Sr., Hamel) giving UMC a 5-3 lead. After Wheeling tied the set at 5-5, Leuer hit two more kills helping to put Minnesota Crookston on top 9-5. The Cardinals won seven of the next eight points to claim a 12-10 lead. The two teams traded rallies and points with Minnesota Crookston trailing 20-19. Wheeling won the next two points to take a 22-19 lead and would hang on closing out the second set 25-22.

The third set played out much like the first with Wheeling imposing its will early in the set and never looking back. The Cardinals took a 7-1 lead early in the set. The Golden Eagles pulled within 15-8, but wouldn’t recover from their poor start to the set falling in a sweep as Wheeling took the third, and final, set 25-12.

For UMC
Kills – Porsha Porath – 12
Blocks – Kaitlin Sikkink – 3, Lauren Wallace – 3, Porsha Porath – 3
Assists – Sydney Kruisselbrink – 15
Digs – Ali Schueler – 9, Katie Lienemann – 8
Aces – None

UMC VS LAKE SUPERIOR STATE
In the Golden Eagles second match of the day, UMC faced Lake Superior State in a rematch of last weekend’s five-set match won by the Lakers. Following the first set, it became even more clear how even these two teams are. Minnesota Crookston trailed 7-3 until Porsha Porath tallied back-to-back kills bringing UMC within 7-5. The Lakers grew their lead to 11-6 with three straight kills. Lake Superior State unraveled with six-straight miscues resulting in points for the Golden Eagles giving Minnesota Crookston a 12-11 lead. LSSU answered with four straight points including consecutive aces to take a 15-12 lead. Kills from Sabrina Leuer and Hannah Stark (Soph., Esko) trimmed UMC’s deficit down to one before Natalie Koke (R-Fr., Caledonia) served an ace tying the match at 16-16. The Golden Eagles pulled away late in the opening set to take a 24-22 lead but were unable to close out two straight set-points as the Lakers tied the frame at 24-24. UMC earned another set-point after taking a 25-24 lead following another Lake Superior State attack error. However, LSSU was able to fight back again and won three straight points off of UMC errors to win the first set 27-25.

UMC left itself plenty of margin for error in the second set. After the Golden Eagles fell behind 3-1, the Golden Eagles won four straight points including consecutive kills by Hannah Stark giving UMC a 5-3 lead. Lake Superior State won four of the next five points taking a 7-6 lead. Minnesota Crookston countered with three-straight points before Ali Schueler (R-Sr., Howards Grove, WI) served three straight aces to put the Golden Eagles in front 12-7. UMC took seven of the next nine points as well to expand their lead to 19-9. Minnesota Crookston closed out the second set with little trouble winning the final five points of the set tying the match at 1-1 with a 25-12 win in set two.

In the third set, Lake Superior State took an early 4-2 lead. UMC tied the set at 4-4 following a service error by LSSU and a kill from Hannah Stark. After the Lakers took three straight points another kill by Stark cut UMC’s deficit to 7-5. Back-to-back points later in the set including a kill by Sydney Kruisselbrink trimmed the Golden Eagles’ deficit down to 10-9. Later in the set, an ace served by Katie Lienemann concluded a three-point rally giving Minnesota Crookston a 17-16 lead. Lake Superior State won five of the next seven points taking a 21-17 lead. Trailing 22-17, Hannah Stark stopped the LSSU momentum with a kill bringing UMC within 22-18 before a Lakers’ attacking error made it 22-19. Sabrina Leuer’s kill gave Minnesota Crookston its third straight point brining the Golden Eagles within 22-20. Lake Superior State hung on winning the three of the next four points to close out a 25-21 win in the third set taking a 2-1 lead in the match.

In the fourth set, Lake Superior State jumped out to an early 5-2 lead which grew to 8-3 after winning three straight points. A six-point rub later in the set gave LSSU a 13-9 lead. Lake Superior State further expanded its lead to 21-14. The Lakers would close out the four-set win taking the final set 25-17.

The Golden Eagles fall to 1-5 and will wrap up their non-conference schedule on Saturday when UMC plays Michigan Tech and North Dakota School of Mines and Technology at 11 a.m. and 5 p.m. respectively.

For UMC
Kills – Porsha Porath – 15, Hannah Stark – 10, Sabrina Leuer – 10
Blocks – Lauren Wallace – 4
Assists – Natalie Koke – 17
Digs – Katie Lienemann – 21, Porsha Porath – 16
Aces – Ali Schueler – 3