ST. PAUL, Minn. – The #1 Concordia Golden Bears volleyball team (13-1, 5-1 NSIC) saw their 13-match winning streak snapped in a thrilling five-set match with #2 Minnesota Duluth (14-0, 6-0 NSIC) on Friday night at the Gangelhoff Center.
 
In a battle of unbeaten teams, the Bulldogs survived a late rush from the Golden Bears to hold on for the five-set victory. The loss snaps the Golden Bears' third longest winning streak to start a reason as they fell to 22-26 all-time against Minnesota Duluth.
 
While the Golden Bears dominated statistically in nearly every category, an opportunistic UMD took advantage of their chances to gain the edge. CSP hit .252 compared to .120 for UMD while also holding advantages of 14.0-6.0 in blocks, 5-4 in service aces, 61-51 in kills and 56-47 in assists. The Bulldogs benefitted with a 62-59 edge in digs while committing less service errors with a difference of 13-7.
 
The duo of Emma Lange and Anna Schlaak did a lot of the heavy lifting offensively as Lange had 16 kills and Schlaak added 15 on a combined 75 swings. Lange led all CSP players with a .361 hitting percentage and seven blocks while Schlaak finished off a big double-double with 15 digs to go with her 15 kills.
 
Anna Pioske and Riley Hanson also finished in double figures in kills as Pioske also double-doubled with 12 kills and 12 digs while Hanson chipped in 10 kills.
 
Also for the Golden Bears, Williams continued to pile up assists as she broke the half-century mark with 52 assists and Emily McDonough paced the squad with 22 digs in a solid effort. Sarah Macek also matched Lange's mark with seven blocks.
 
For the Bulldogs, Sarah Kelly was especially impressive as she led all players with 17 kills along with a match-best .393 hitting percentage. Sarah Olley also finished in double figures with 15 kills.
 
In the back row, Erin Schindler was active with 24 digs while Emily Torve added 46 assists.
 
The Golden Bears got off to a solid start in the opening set as they built an 8-5 lead, but the Bulldogs quickly responded to even things up as UMD tied it up at 10-10. The Bulldogs eventually grabbed a lead at 14-13 before Concordia rebounded with four straight to regain a three point lead. They remained out front until 22-20, but Minnesota Duluth surged late with five of the final six points to take the set 25-23.
 
The momentum carried over into the second set as the Bulldogs ran out to a 7-2 lead early. The UMD advantage continued to grow from there as it hit nine at 18-9 before Concordia started to chip away. With the lead hitting 10 at 22-12, CSP took eight of nine and 12 of 14 to pull all the way back to within two at 24-22, but the Bulldogs slammed the door to take a 2-0 lead with a 25-22 set win.
 
Concordia responded in a big way in the third set as they quickly built a 5-1 lead. Minnesota Duluth wouldn't pull closer than three the rest of the way as an extended 14-5 run midway through the set put things out of reach. The Golden Bears eventually took the set 25-11 to keep the match alive.
 
The start to the fourth set was even more impressive as they took 13 of the first 16 points to push the advantage to double digits in the early going. The lead remained seven or higher throughout as the Golden Bears went on to force a decisive fifth set with a dominant 25-15 win in the fourth.
 
The two teams traded points in the fifth until UMD took control with three of four to make it 8-5. Another 3-1 run forced both CSP timeouts as the Bulldogs grabbed some breathing room at 11-6. The Golden Bears wouldn't go away though as they worked their way back within a pair at 14-12 before Minnesota Duluth closed out the five-set win 15-12.
 
Concordia will look to get back on track tomorrow night as they take of St. Cloud State at 5 p.m. at the Gangelhoff Center.