Box Score (EC vs. VU)
Box Score (VU vs. MMC)
Box Score (EC vs. MMC)
MADISON, Wis. - After watching Viterbo University cruise to a 2-0 lead over Edgewood College, there likely weren't many people sitting outside the team's immediate bench area who expected the Eagles to come back and win the match. Everyone at the Todd Wehr Edgedome Saturday learned not to underestimate Paul Schlomer's squad. The Eagles rallied for an unlikely 3-2 victory over the V-Hawks and then rolled over Mount Mary College 3-0 to complete the day.
Edgewood College looked outmatched in the first set against Viterbo University (19-7) falling behind 15-3 and needing to score three of the final four points just to get to 25-12. The Eagles played better in set two, getting a kill from Mallory Palmer and an errant set from the V-Hawks to cut the lead to 23-21. However, the V-Hawks forced a side out and Jenna Lau served the winning point for a 2-0 lead in the match.
Everything changed in the third set. The Eagles' setters and hitters began connecting and Edgewood College turned a 10-10 tie into a 15-11 lead with a 5-1 run featuring kills by Palmer, Ellie Peckham and Kristin Manske. The V-Hawks threatened again getting as close as 20-19, but two kills by Manske, a kill by Palmer and a service ace for Nina Brown gave the Eagles the final five points of the set. The Eagles hit .297 in that set with 14 kills and just three errors.
Neither team gained more than a two-point lead in the fourth set, as the team's tied for the 10th time in the set at 23-23. Brown broke the V-Hawks serve with a kill and then served the final point that Palmer ended with a kill of her own to force an improbable fifth set.
The Eagles finally seemed to have the V-Hawks back on their heels, as Brown fired another service ace to force a Viterbo timeout at 4-1 of the fifth set. The V-Hawks scored four straight points to force an Eagle timeout with the home team clinging to an 11-10 lead. Another kill by Brown out of the timeout and a kill by Manske two points later put the Eagles up 13-11. After a Viterbo error brought the Eagles to match point, Laura Sweeney ended the comeback with the Eagles' seventh service ace of the match.
Palmer led all players with 16 kills and a .317 hitting percentage. Brown and Manske had nine and eight kills, respectively, and combined for just five errors. Manske also posted a match-high five assisted blocks. Hampered by their first two sets, the Eagles hit just .130 for the match, but the Eagles piled up 31 kills and just 10 errors for a .250 hitting percentage in the final three sets.
Against Mount Mary College, the Eagles used every player on their roster to cruise to their second sweep in three matches 25-15, 25-20, 25-20. Colleen Myers had seven kills to lead the way for the Eagles, while Sweeney assumed the libero position and recorded a team-best 15 digs. Sweeney and Carmen Terriquez each had a pair of service aces in the match. Manske had four kills and four assisted blocks, while Palmer and Brown also had four kills apiece.
In the other match of the day, Viterbo University bounced back to defeat Mount Mary College in three sets 25-14, 25-12, 25-14. The V-Hawks were lead by Hannah Ripp's eight kills.
Edgewood College will host Maranatha Baptist next Tuesday at 7:00 p.m. in a Northern Athletics Conference match. That match will be videocast live on EdgewoodCollegeEagles.com with Barry Adams and Suann Saltzberry providing the play-by-play call.
