The University of Minnesota Crookston Golden Eagles Volleyball team split their season opening day beating Wisconsin-Parkside 3-2 before falling to host Michigan Tech 3-0 in a pair of non-Conferences matches played at the SDC Gym in Houghton, Michigan.
Minnesota Crookston started the season well jumping out to an early lead in the team’s first set of the season. After Deaira Gresham (Jr., Maplewood) served an ace, UW-Parkside had back-to-back attacking errors giving the Golden Eagles a 5-2 lead in the first. Following a UMC service error, the Rangers gave up two more errors boosting Minnesota Crookston’s lead to 7-3. Three more attacking errors by UW-Parkside later and the Golden Eagles’ advantage ballooned to 10-4. Gresham spiked down consecutive kills to make it 13-7 later in the set. The Rangers stormed back by taking seven of the next eight points tying the set at 14-14. Lauren Wallace (R-Soph., Bloomington) answered back with a timely kill putting Minnesota Crookston back in front 15-14. After another attacking error by the Rangers moved UMC in front 20-17, UW-Parkside took back-to-back points pulling within 20-19. Minnesota Crookston responded well with a kill from Gresham followed by her serving an ace helping the Golden Eagles take the first set 25-19.
Wisconsin-Parkside wasted little time evening up the match in the second set. The Rangers took the first six points of the set before Minnesota Crookston’s Porsha Porath (Sophomore, Windom) stopped the run with a kill to make it 6-1. The momentum, however, would continue building for the GLIAC team as UW-Parkside added to its advantage leading by 15-4 halfway through the set and never looking back at the Rangers tied the match with a 25-16 set two victory.
The critical third set was tightly contested with both sides battling back and forth to gain control of the match. With the set tied at 5-5, Porsha Porath spiked another kill around a pair of UW-Parkside errors giving Minnesota Crookston an 8-5 lead. The Rangers would take the lead later in the set winning four out of five points to take a 13-11 lead. Porath and Kaitlin Sikkink (R-Sr., St. Charles) countered with consecutive kills evening the set at 13-13. Tied at 17-17, the Golden Eagles gained control of the set. Porsha Porath earned a kill giving Minnesota Crookston the 18-17 lead and the Golden Eagles wouldn’t relinquish their serve the rest of the set, closing out a 25-18 set win with back-to-back aces served by Ali Schueler (R-Sr., Howards Grove, WI).
Wisconsin-Parkside proved resilient once again as the Rangers forced a fifth set following a lopsided 25-14 win in the fourth set after turning a 17-13 set lead into a 23-13 advantage.
In the fifth and final set, Meli Rodriguez (Sr., Sarchi Sur, Costa Rica) served an ace giving Minnesota Crookston a 5-1 lead. A service error brought UW-Parkside back within 6-5, but the Rangers gave a service error right back. A Rangers’ attacking error gave UMC an 8-5 lead before Sabrina Leuer (R-Sr., Hamel) delivered a kill to make it 9-6. UW-Parkside answered with a kill of their own to pull within 9-7. The Golden Eagles closed out the win as two straight errors by the Rangers set UMC up for the 15-9 fifth set win.
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 |
| UMC | 25 | 16 | 25 | 14 | 15 |
| UW-Parkside | 19 | 25 | 18 | 25 | 9 |
For UMC
Kills – Porsha Porath – 12, Deaira Gresham – 10
Blocks – Kaitlin Sikkink – 6
Assists – Sydney Kruisselbrink – 17, Natalie Koke – 16
Digs – Ali Schueler – 13, Sydney Kruisselbrink – 10
Aces – Deaira Gresham – 3, Ali Schueler – 3
In Minnesota Crookston’s second match of the night, the Golden Eagles were overwhelmed by a talented Michigan Tech team. In the first set, Michigan Tech jumped out to a 10-3 lead and never looked back cruising to a 25-10 win.
In the second set, back-to-back aces served by Meli Rodriguez gave the Golden Eagles a 4-1 lead. The Huskies rattled off six straight points to take a 9-5 lead. Another five-point run further seperated Michigan Tech from their visitors 17-9. The Huskies would cruise the rest of the set taking it 25-12.
The third set proved to be the most competitive in the match. Tied at 8-8 the Huskies rattled off five-straight points to claim a 13-8 lead. Trailing 23-15, UMC took three-straight points but their rally ended their as Michigan Tech closed out the sweep with a 25-18 win in the final set of the night.
Minnesota Crookston starts the season 1-1. The Golden Eagles return to the court for two more matches tomorrow against Lake Superior State and Northern Michigan starting at 12:00 P.M.
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 |
| UMC | 10 | 12 | 18 |
| Michigan Tech | 25 | 25 | 25 |
For UMC
Kills – Deaira Gresham – 6
Blocks –
Assists – Sydney Kruisselbrink – 8, Natalie Koke – 5
Digs – Porsha Porath – 13
Aces – Meli Rodriguez – 2
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