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Eagles get the Muskies off their backs, 3-1
MADISON, Wis. - All streaks eventually end, but ones that have
lasted more than decade feel like they never will. Once your team
finally breaks through it can be quite a relief as the Edgewood
College volleyball team found out Tuesday night. The Eagles
controlled Lakeland College for most of the match to claim a 3-1
victory snapping a 19-match losing streak to the Muskies. The match
marked the Eagles first win in the series since October 26,
1999.
Edgewood College (7-10, 3-0 NAC) started a little slow in the
first set, falling behind 8-3, but a substitution of Aryn
Wellnitz sparked an Eagle run. With Kim
Lueck serving, Wellnitz hammered home five kills on six
consecutive rallies, helping to turn a five-point deficit into an
11-8 lead. After Lakeland College, the three-time defending
champion of the Northern Athletics Conference, tied the match at
13, it was Kristin
Manske’s turn to go to work. Manske scored three
kills and Mallory
Palmer added one of her own for a 4-0 run and the Eagles
wouldn’t trail again. The Muskies proceeded to commit attack
errors on four of the last five Eagle points giving Edgewood
College a 25-15 victory.
The Eagles’ second set was sparked by a 7-0 run featuring
three services aces from Palmer, turning a 4-3 deficit into a 10-4
Eagle lead. Middle hitter Brittany
Bylsma made sure Lakeland College (3-11, 1-2 NAC) would
have no chance to get back into the set, scoring back-to-back kills
to set up match point. Bylsma had three kills in the 25-14 set, in
which the Eagles had nine kills and just one error for a .364
attack percentage.
Edgewood College head coach Paul Schlomer mixed up the lineup in
set three, and the Muskies quickly gained an advantage. When the
Eagles cut the Lakeland College lead to 8-7, Anna Faust recorded a
kill and then served five straight points for a 14-7 advantage.
Wellnitz and Jessica
Martin had three kills apiece in the set, but the Muskies
still claimed a 25-15 win.
In the fourth set, however, the Eagles slammed the door on
whatever momentum the Muskies had gained. Edgewood College forced
Lakeland into an early timeout with a 6-1 run to open the set.
Lakeland College closed the margin to 7-6, but an 8-2 run on the
serves of Lueck, Sam
Himmelspach and Laura
Sweeney put the fourth set out of reach early. The Eagles
led the set start to finish, and ended the Muskies 19-match run
when an emphatic kill by Manske struck the floor on match point for
a 25-18 victory.
Wellnitz led the team with 11 kills and just one error for a
career-high .476 hitting percentage. Manske was almost as good,
smashing eight kills and hitting .400 for the match. Palmer added
nine kills and a team-high 12 digs. Freshman Lindsey
Swansby passed out 36 assists as the Eagles hit a
season-best .256 in attacking. The win also marks Edgewood
College’s first 3-0 start in conference play since the 1998
season.
Edgewood College will step out of the NAC tomorrow for a 7:00
match in Milwaukee against Mount Mary College. The Eagles will
return home on Friday for a pair of matches with Alverno College
and UW-Stevens Point.
