Box Score (vs. Maryville)
Box Score (vs. Mount Mary)
Photo Gallery
MADISON, Wis. - Using a thrilling comeback and a convincing rout, the Edgewood College volleyball team opened the 2008 season in style, sweeping a pair of matches in their own triangular. It marks the first time since 1996 that the Eagles have begun a season with a 2-0 record and the first time they have won their season opener since 1998. The Eagles rallied from behind to beat Maryville University in five sets (7-25, 25-20, 23-25, 30-28, 16-14) before rolling over Mount Mary College (25-7, 25-15, 25-11) in straight sets.
It certainly didn't look like a milestone waiting to happen in the day's first set, as Maryville's Brittany Willett served 11 straight points to give the Saints (1-5) a commanding 22-6 lead. They would cruise to a 25-7 opening set win. After splitting sets two and three, the Eagles had set point at 24-21 in the fourth set, but the Saints rallied for four straight points for a 25-24 lead.
Senior Kim Paskey then delivered a pair of kills followed by kills for freshmen Abbi Schultz and Aryn Wellnitz to forge a 28-28 tie. Schultz then served out the final two points of the set, as Maryville's Kylee Eudy committed a pair of attack errors.
The Eagles (2-0) again put themselves in a hole in the fifth set, falling behind 12-8, but kills from Wellnitz and fellow freshmen Ashley Averkamp and Kristin Manske pulled the Eagles to within 13-12. Maryville's Jordan Dietl brought the Saints within a point of victory with a kill to make the score 14-12, but a service error by Lyndsay Kleekamp opened the door for the Eagles once again. Senior Hannah Williams stepped in to serve, and after a pair Saints attack errors found herself serving for the match at 15-14. Schultz and Paskey then completed the comeback with a block of Saint Jessica Vaeth at the net.
Paskey led the way for the Eagles, recording 14 kills and a pair of service aces. She hit .370 on 27 attacks. Wellnitz added 10 kills in her collegiate debut. Williams and Schultz dished out 25 and 21 assists, respectively while Kim Lueck earned 27 digs. Maggie Hoette was a force for Maryville pounding out 23 kills.
In the Mount Mary match, the Eagles used their serves to take control early. In the second set, Schultz delivered three straight aces, followed shortly after by freshman Emily Monson with a pair of her own. The Eagles racked up 15 aces in the match, led by Williams with five and Schultz with four. Paskey again led the attack, hitting .583 with nine kills in just two sets of work. Schultz and freshman Danielle Straw had six kills apiece.
The last time the Eagles went 2-0 to open the season was the 1996 campaign when Edgewood College topped Rockford College and Lawrence University on their way to a 4-0 start. That team won the Lake Michigan conference and tournament titles.
In the day's other match Maryville defeated Mount Mary in three sets by scores of (25-17, 25-16, 25-12).
Edgewood College will be back in action on Wednesday, September 3 for a non-conference match against Ripon College. The match will start at 7:00 p.m.
