Box Score NSIC/US Bank Volleyball Tournament Bracket
DULUTH, Minn. - The #1 Concordia University volleyball team (27-2, 19-1 NSIC) fell short in their quest of a perfect regular season slate in NSIC play as they had their 25 match winning streak snapped by the #3 Minnesota Duluth Bulldogs (28-2, 18-2 NSIC) on Saturday night at Romano Gymnasium.
The Golden Bears took their first NSIC loss in 34 matches since they last lost in Duluth back on September 28, 2012 in four sets. Concordia clinched the top seed in the NSIC Tournament and UMD claimed the second seed as they both play host in the first round of the tournament this Wednesday at 7 p.m. Concordia will take on the eighth seeded Minnesota Crookston while UMD faces seventh seeded Sioux Falls.
NSIC Player of the Year Kate Lange had a dominant performance for the Bulldogs with 31 kills and 13 digs as she hit .379 for the match. Setter Ashley Hinsch put up 61 assists and four blocks and middle blockers Sydnie Mauch and Monica Turner had 13 and 11 kills, respectively. UMD hit .259 as a team in the match.
For the Golden Bears,
Emily McDonough led the way with 16 kills and 17 digs for her 11th double-double of the season.
Kayla Koenecke picked up another double-double as well as she finished with 13 kills and 12 digs.
Riley Hanson,
Erienne Lauersdorf and
Heather Schiller also had double digit kills for CU.
The first set was as advertised as the two teams traded blows throughout the set . There were 10 ties and four lead changes in the first set alone. Concordia built an 11-7 lead early but UMD battled back to take a lead at 17-16. CU held a two point advantage at 22-20 before two Bulldog kills evened the score. McDonough put the Golden Bears two points away from a first set win at 23-22 but Minnesota Duluth scored the final three points to jump out to a 1-0 lead.
Lange got it going right away with six kills in the first and Hanson and McDonough led CU with four each.
In the second set, the Bulldogs built a 16-10 advantage on the heels of a 6-1 run and wouldn't let up. Concordia closed the gap to two at 20-18 but UMD shut the door with five straight points to pull a set away from a sweep.
Minnesota Duluth hit .344 in the second and held the nation's leading attack to just .176. Lange matched her first set performance with six more kills.
UMD scored five of the first seven in the third set and appeared to be holding all the momentum but the Golden Bears wouldn't go away. Concordia gained a lead at 10-8 and pushed it out to three at 13-10. Minnesota Duluth briefly took the lead back at 15-14 but wouldn't lead again. With the score back even at 19 all, CU went on a 4-0 run to take control 23-19. The teams traded the next four points as the Golden Bears claimed the set 25-21 to stay alive.
Lauersdorf had five kills for Concordia and Lange added five more kills for UMD in the third set.
The Golden Bears led for much of the fourth set but never seemed to be able to pull away. Minnesota Duluth pulled ahead at 12-11 before CU went back ahead 17-14. UMD stormed back to take a 22-21 lead, but Concordia stole the last four points to force a deciding fifth set.
Lange had her best set of the match with nine kills as she attempted a staggering 20 attacks in the set.
The Bulldogs had an answer for every Golden Bear point in the fifth set, never trailing in the set. A 4-0 run midway through turned a 6-6 tie into 10-6 UMD lead. Concordia scored three straight on match point to close the gap to 14-11 but Lange fittingly closed it out with her 31st kill of the night.
