MADISON, Wis. – It took a total team effort for the Edgewood College volleyball team to earn their first sweep in Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference play. Every available Eagle played in the match, and every player recorded at least a kill or a dig in Edgewood College's 25-20, 25-12, 25-17 victory over Alverno College.
Edgewood College (11-10, 2-1 NACC) once again got off to a slow start, but this time it didn't cost the Eagles a set. Alverno College (9-11, 0-4 NACC) scored the first four points of the match and forced an Eagles timeout with a 12-7 lead. The Eagles finally started to rein the Inferno in behind kills from Carley Reuter and Sarah Schuchhardt and a pair of service points by Savannah Koester, to take a short-lived 15-14 lead. Edgewood College trailed 18-15, before getting back-to-back kills from Jordan Winkler to spark a 10-2 rally to win the set. Renee Meister provided two assisted blocks and two kills in that stretch while Kaitlyn Rabel had a kill and a block.
The Eagles owned the second set, bolting out to a 7-2 lead and never looking back. Winkler totaled six kills in the second set and a team-high five digs. Schuchhardt, Meister and Elizabeth Evans added three kills apiece for the Eagles who hit .500 for the set.
Head coach Paul Schlomer went to his bench in the third set, calling on Mackenzie Hannan to take primary setting duties. Reuter had six kills in the third set, while Paje Mader added three kills to help the Eagles come back from a modest 12-9 deficit. The Eagles scored six straight points on Evans' service to seize an 18-13 lead, which they never relinquished. Jenna Dammen scored the final point of the match with a kill off a Hannan set.
Winkler posted her 12th double-double of the season with 10 kills and a team-high 17 digs. Reuter just missed her first career double-double with 10 kills and nine digs. Libero Rachel Tesch scored 13 digs and an ace for the match. Rotating three setters, Haley Schwenn led the team with 17 assists, starter Rachel Thomsen dished out 14, while Hannan picked eight assists, all in the third set.
Edgewood College travels south tomorrow for a big showdown with Dominican University. The Stars knocked off the Eagles at the Edgedome in last year's NACC Tournament Championship match. On Saturday, the Eagles and the Stars get underway at 6:00 from the Igini Sports Forum in River Forest, Ill.
