UMC VOLLEYBALL SWEPT BY #3 RANKED MINNESOTA-DULUTH

The University of Minnesota Crookston (UMC) Golden Eagle Volleyball team lost its seventh match in a row falling 3-0 (25-19, 25-14, 25-18) against #3 Minnesota Duluth in an NSIC match played at Romano Gymnasium in Duluth.

SET ONE – 
Minnesota Crookston opened the first set with a 2-0 lead following a Porsha Porath (Soph., Windom) kill. After a Minnesota Duluth attacking error gave the Golden Eagles a 3-1 lead, the Bulldogs won four straight points taking a 5-3 lead. A kill spiked by Deaira Gresham (Jr., Maplewood) brought Minnesota Crookston within 5-4. Later in the set, Lauren Wallace (R-Soph., Bloomington) earned a kill for UMC giving the visitors a 10-9 advantage. Later in the set, after a UMD attacking error pulled the Golden Eagles within 18-17, Minnesota Duluth used a six-point run to pull ahead before taking the first set 25-19.

SET TWO –
Minnesota Duluth rolled in the second set. Back-to-back kills from Deaira Gresham put Minnesota Crookston in front 5-2, but the Bulldogs won the next 7 points taking a 9-5 lead. Another Gresham kills briefly halted UMD’s momentum, but Minnesota Duluth won another 5 points in a row taking a 14-6 lead. The Bulldogs continued pulling ahead the rest of the set, winning it 25-14.

SET THREE –
A Deaira Gresham kill followed by a Gresham ace gave Minnesota Crookston a 3-2 lead. Porsha Porath spiked a kill increasing the lead to 4-2 for the Golden Eagles. Tied at 7-7 another Gresham termination regained an 8-7 lead for UMC. Lauren Wallace hammered a kill boosting the visitor’s lead to 10-8. Minnesota Duluth battled back and tied the set at 17-17 before winning two more consecutive points taking a 19-17 lead. After Minnesota Crookston took a timeout, Minnesota Duluth continued their scoring streak with two more kills giving UMD a 21-17 lead prompting the Golden Eagles final timeout. Minnesota Duluth continued to score and closed the set with a 7-point run giving the Bulldogs a 24-17 lead. A service error only delayed the inevitable one point as UMD completed the sweep taking the third set 25-18.

Minnesota Crookston falls to 4-19 overall and 2-13 in the NSIC and will travel to St. Cloud to play St. Cloud State at 6:00 P.M. on Tuesday.  Minnesota Duluth improves to 20-3 overall and 13-2 in conference play.

For  UMC
Kills – Deaira Gresham – 10, Porsha Porath – 6
Blocks – Melissa Rodriguez – 1, Kaitlin Sikkink – 1, Porsha Porath – 1, Sydney Kruisselbrink – 1
Assists – Sydney Kruisselbrink – 9, Natalie Koke – 7
Digs – Deaira Gresham – 13, Katie Lienemann – 12, Porsha Porath – 10
Aces – Porsha Porath – 1, Deaira Gresham – 1