Box Score

ST. LOUIS, Mo. – Every team in the NCAA Tournament dreams of a long, spectacular run toward the national title, but the reality is that half of the field loses their first game. In their first NCAA Tournament appearance in school history, the Edgewood College volleyball team learned that reality in a 25-13, 25-12, 25-16 loss to ninth-ranked Carthage College. The Eagles closed their most successful season in more than a decade with a 21-14 record.

Whether it was the hard-hitting Lady Reds or a bit of over-anxiousness for the Eagles, Carthage College (31-6) jumped on Edgewood College in the first set. Aryn Wellnitz and Kristin Manske scored kills and Mallory Palmer served an ace to tie the match at 8-8, but the Lady Reds took control. Lauren Dembkowski served six straight points aided by five Eagle attack errors to open a 14-8 lead. Carthage eventually scored the final eight points in the set for the victory.

The Eagles scored three straight points early in the third set, capped by a Lindsey Swansby ace, to take a 5-3 lead. The advantage would be short-lived however, as Carthage rattled off an 11-0 run to seize control of the set by a 23-9 margin, on their way to a 25-12 win.

Edgewood College posted their best set of the night, in the third, hitting .184 and scoring 14 kills. During the third set, Palmer scored her 500th kill of the season, making her just the third Eagle in history and the first in the rally scoring era to reach 500 kills. The Eagles last flurry of the night came on back-to-back kills from Jessica Martin, but Carthage closed out the match with a 25-16 win.

Martin led the Eagles with 11 kills, followed by Palmer with nine. Lindsey Swansby and Sam Himmelsapch had 11 digs each, while Swansby led the team with 14 assists. This year's Eagle squad totaled a school record 1,577 kills and won the most matches since 1996.