pensacola, fla. - concordia university (3-0) middle hitter emily palkert drilled 18 kills with a .406 attacking average as the golden bears fended off #12 central missouri (2-1) saturday morning. The team had several decisive sets and took the decision 3-1 (25-22, 25-12, 25-27, 25-15) at the uwf comfort inn-vitational. box score

concordia employed a massive defensive effort to take down central missouri, receiving 23 digs from senior libero mary slinger. The squad held central missouri to a .148 hitting average, including three sets in which the jennies hit well below the .200 range. The second set of the match was no contest, with the golden bears winning 25-12 and central missouri gaining only six kills throughout.

emily palkert had her best showing of the season in the morning match with 18 kills and just five errors in 32 attempts. sadie kessler put down 15 kills and marked a double-double with 15 digs, as well. megan carlson was the final cu player to tab double figures in kills with ten and made it three straight matches with a double-double, adding 18 digs.

serving and blocking also played a huge part in concordia's win. They had a season high ten aces against ucm, including three from kessler. Eight team blocks were marked, including four solo roofs and an assisted stop from freshman cassie haag. Haag also had nine kills in the decision.

central missouri put up a solid fight and battled the golden bears in the third set to prevent the sweeping victory. They came out ahead of cu with 18 kills and a .208 average in the extra-point decision. Paula harris and bradye peniston were the leading jennie hitters with 12 and 10 kills each, respectively. Rachel fister matched slinger with a match high 23 digs. Ucm also had eight blocks.

concordia wraps up play in pensacola this evening, taking on florida tech before they head back to st. Paul.