The University of Minnesota Crookston (UMC) Volleyball squad lost in a sweep (25-17, 25-16, 25-8) against Minnesota State-Mankato to end their season in an NSIC match played in Mankato.
SET ONE –
Deaira Gresham (Jr., Maplewood) opened the first set with an ace giving Minnesota Crookston a 1-0 lead before a Mavericks’ kill tied the set at 1-1. A Porsha Porath (Soph., Windom) kill followed by a Minnesota State attacking error extended UMC’s lead to 3-1. After the Mavericks tied the set at 4-4, Minnesota Crookston took a 5-4 lead following an MSU serving error. Tied at 5-5, Sabrina Leuer (R-Sr., Hamel) spiked a kill giving the Golden Eagles a 6-5 lead. Kaite Lienemann (Jr., Rosemount) extended the lead with an ace before Melissa Rodriguez (Sr., Sarchi Sur, Costa Rica) closed out the 3-0 run with a kill giving Minnesota Crookston an 8-5 lead. Trailing 9-6, Minnesota State won four straight points taking a 10-9 lead. Minnesota Crookston answered with three straight kills giving the Golden Eagles a 12-10 lead. Minnesota State won three straight points regaining a 13-12 lead. Minnesota Crookston won two of the next three points tying the set at 14-14 before a Mavericks’ attacking error put UMC in front 15-14. Minnesota won four out of five points, taking a 19-17 lead before Minnesota Crookston took a timeout. Out of the timeout, Minnesota State extended its lead 20-17. Minnesota State won the next two points taking a 22-17 lead before UMC used its second timeout of the set. Minnesota State closed the set on an 8-0 run, winning the first frame 25-17.
SET TWO –
Minnesota Crookston opened the second set, winning three of the first four points taking a 3-1 lead. After Minnesota Crookston’s lead grew to 5-2, Minnesota State tied the set winning three straight points before winning three of the next four points and taking an 8-6 lead. A service error trimmed UMC’s deficit down to 9-8. Minnesota State won five of the next six points taking a 14-9 lead before the Golden Eagles took a timeout. Minnesota State extended its lead to 19-12 before Minnesota Crookston’s second timeout of the set. Deaira Gresham hit a spike bringing UMC within 19-13 out of the Golden Eagles’ timeout. A Sabrina Leuer kill followed trimming UMC’s deficit down to 19-14, but Minnesota State responded with two straight points taking a 21-14 lead. The Mavericks took four of the next five points, gaining a 23-15 lead before Minnesota State closed out the set winning 25-16.
SET THREE –
Minnesota State opened the third set winning the first two points before Deaira Gresham delivered a kill trimming UMC’s deficit down to 2-1. Minnesota State won the next four points taking a 6-1 lead before Minnesota Crookston used its first timeout of the third set. Following UMC’s timeout, MSU won two of the next three points extending its lead to 8-2. A Porsha Porath kill brought the Golden Eagles within 10-4. The Mavericks won the next three points claiming a 13-4 lead before Minnesota Crookston took its final timeout of the third set. Minnesota State won seven of the next eight points following the timeout taking a 20-5 lead.Minnesota State closed out the match winning the final four points of the third set closing out the sweep with a 25-8 set win.
Minnesota Crookston finishes the season with a 4-24 overall record going 2-18 in NSIC games. Minnesota State improves to 18-10 overall and 11-9 in conference play.
| Box Score | 1 | 2 | 3 |
| Minnesota-Crookston | 17 | 16 | 8 |
| MSU-Mankato | 25 | 25 | 25 |
For UMC
Kills – Deaira Gresham – 5, Lauren Wallace – 5, Porsha Porath – 5
Aces – Deaira Gresham – 1, Katie Lienemann – 1
Blocks – Kaitlin Sikkink – 1, Lauren Wallace – 1, Porsha Porath – 1
Assists – Sydney Kruisselbrink – 19, Natalie Koke – 5
Digs – Katie Lienemann – 20
