Box Score

"White Out" Night on Tuesday

MADISON, Wis. - Senior Night for the Edgewood College volleyball team may have been a microcosm of Eagle senior Kim Lueck's four year career. There were tough times early, a steady improvement through the middle and a thrilling finish that leaves the home crowd breathless. Behind a record setting performance from sophomore Mallory Palmer the Eagles sent Lueck out a winner with a 3-2 victory over the University of Dubuque that had a little bit of everything.

Palmer established a new rally scoring era school record for kills, pounding out 31 in 68 attempts. She became only the second Eagle player in history to record 30 kills in a match joining Edgewood College Hall of Fame member Mandie Armstrong, who topped 30 four times from 1995-98. Edgewood College (18-13) also broke the school record for kills and assists in a match as a team with 73 kills and 70 assists.

The Eagles and the University of Dubuque (6-25) battled through a tight first set the featured 10 ties. The Spartans seemed poised to win it when a block by Lilly Gors and Chelsea Jones gave them a 24-21 lead. However, Palmer answered with three consecutive kills to knot the set at 24 apiece. Dubuque finally won the set 27-25 on another assisted block this time by Whitley Phillips and Susan Danielewski. Palmer had 10 kills in the set, while Jessica Martin had five.

Edgewood College trailed again in the second set 19-17 before rallying after a timeout. Martin scored a kill before Laura Sweeney served off six straight points and the Eagles had a sudden 24-19 lead. Palmer finished off set number two 25-20 with her 16th kill of the night.

After the intermission, the third set went to extra points, just as the first set had. Trailing by three at 19-16, the Eagles called on Colleen Myers and she delivered four straight points, including an ace. The Eagles failed on a set point at 24-23, but Palmer and Brittany Bylsma recorded kills on the final two points for a 26-24 victory. Lueck had nine of her team-high 29 digs in the third set.

However, the Spartans stole the momentum back from the Eagles by racing out to a 19-9 lead in the fourth set. Edgewood College attempted to rally scoring 11 of the next 15 points, but the Spartans finished off the set 25-20.

The Spartans stayed hot in the fifth set with Kristen Mortensen serving the first four points of the set for Dubuque. They would maintain their lead at 7-3 before the Eagles made their move, tying the match at 11 and eventually taking a 13-12 lead. Aryn Wellnitz converted a kill to give the Eagles the first match point of the night, but Dubuque's Lauren McKissick scored one of her team-high 23 kills to keep the Spartans alive. McKissick would then serve on Dubuque's only match point of the night, leading 15-14, but missed wide to square the match again at 15. Edgewood College finally ended the drama with a pair of assisted blocks for the final two points of the night. Wellnitz and Katie Wedvick teamed up on the first one, and Wedvick and Martin paired up on the second one for a 17-15 fifth set Eagle victory.

After Palmer, Martin and Wedvick each set career-highs with 14 kills on the night. Palmer and Martin each turned in double-doubles with Palmer's 19 digs and Martin's 10. Sweeney and Sam Himmelspach also reached double digit digs with 17 and 13, respectively. Setter Lindsey Swansby dished out a career-high 66 assists, setting another rally scoring era school record.

Dubuque, which dropped their eighth five-set match of the season and 16th consecutive match overall, was led by McKissick's 23 kills. Libero Kristin Mortensen amassed 40 digs to lead all players.

Edgewood College will host their first postseason match in 15 years on Tuesday night at the Todd Wehr Edgedome, with a Northern Athletics Conference Tournament quarterfinal match. The third-seeded Eagles will host sixth-seeded Marian University at 7:00 p.m. All fans are encouraged to show their support for the Eagles by wearing white to the match. Edgewood College will also be collecting non-perishable food items for the NAC's “Cans Across the Conference” program.