Box Score (vs. UW-Whitewater)
Box Score (vs. Lawrence)
MADISON, Wis. - So far, 2010 looks a lot like 2009. Five-set matches and freshmen filling key roles. The Edgewood College women's volleyball team bounced back from a 3-0 (25-15, 25-17, 25-15) loss to 14th-ranked UW-Whitewater to edge Lawrence University 3-2 (25-21, 23-25, 23-25, 25-20, 15-13) in a thrilling five-set match. The Eagles played a whopping 11 five-set matches in 33 outings last year.
Edgewood College (1-1) rallied from a 21-19 deficit to Lawrence University (0-2) in the first set. The Eagles scored the final six points of the match with freshman Jessica Martin serving to claim a 25-21 win. Junior Kristen Manske recorded two kills in the decisive run, including the set-clinching point. However, the Vikings stormed back in the second and third sets, winning each 25-23 and claimed a 2-1 lead.
From that point on, the Eagles' hitters began to take control. After making 21 hitting errors and hitting only .086 in the first three sets, the Eagles hammered home 24 kills against just four errors in the final two sets for a hitting percentage of .385 in the final two sets. In the fourth set, Edgewood College opened up a 20-14 lead only to see Lawrence cut the lead to 22-20. However, sophomore Brittany Bylsma recorded a kill for a side out and the Vikings committed errors on the final two points for a 25-20 Eagle victory.
The fifth set was the closest of them all, featuring 10 tied scores and six lead changes. The final tie came at 12-12, when Bylsma hammered home back-to-back kills to force match point at 14-12. The Vikings scored the next point, but Kaylin Wayne pounced on an overpass and ended the match with a kill.
Two freshman, Martin and setter Lindsey Swansby played key roles in the win. Martin shared match kill honors with Bylsma with 14 apiece, while Swansby, the younger sister of teammate Dacy Swansby, notched 40 assists. She becomes just the second Eagle in the last three seasons to record 40 assists in a match. Sophomore Mallory Palmer added nine kills, while senior Kim Lueck led the Eagles with 16 digs. Serving was a Jekyll and Hyde affair as the Eagles had 13 aces, but committed 19 service errors.
In the early match, 14th-ranked UW-Whitewater (2-0) flexed their muscles early. The Warhawks jumped out to an 18-8 lead, hit .536 and cruised to a 25-15 first set win. The Eagles hung closer in the final two sets but couldn't overcome a Warhawk team that hit .280 for the match.
Palmer led the Eagles with six kills against UW-Whitewater and Lindsey Swansby had a team-high 11 assists. Martin and Lueck had five digs apiece.
In the other match of the triangular, Lawrence University stole a set off of UW-Whitewater, but still fell 3-1 (25-10, 22-25, 25-20, 25-13). Edgewood College will be off until next Wednesday when they travel to UW-Oshkosh for a pair of matches with the University of Chicago and the sixth-ranked host Titans.
