MADISON, Wis. - Senior Elizabeth Evans set a new career-high in kills with 17 as the Edgewood College volleyball team overwhelmed Marian University in the NACC opener for both teams. The Eagles swept three sets 25-12, 25-13, 25-20 as 10 different players had at least one kill in the match.
Edgewood College (5-4, 1-0 NACC) made it look easy in the opening two sets. Savannah Koester served four straight points to give the Eagles an early 10-4 lead. Jenna Dammen had a kill and a block during the run. After Marian University (0-10, 0-1 NACC) closed to within 12-9, the Eagles scored 13 of the next 16 points to close out the set. Koester and Evans each had two sets in that final push, while Aga Sron and Mackenzie Hannan provided the kills to end the set.
Set two was more of the same from the Eagles offense. Edgewood College led comfortably at 17-10 when Koester scored a kill and Alex Zapuchlak delivered one of seven Eagle aces. Zapuchlak would go on to serve five straight points, including another ace to give the Eagles a 23-10 lead. Dammen stuffed Marian's Katy Funkhouser with a solo block to end the second set. Evans had seven of her 17 kills in the second set.
Edgewood College and Marian University went back-and-forth in a much closer third set. The Sabres led 17-16 when the Eagles took control of the set behind the service of Emily Chaussee. Chaussee scored a kill then served off three straight points for a 19-16 Eagle lead. Marian never got closer than two points the rest of the way as Evans delivered two more kills and Chaussee and Sron teamed up for a match-ending block.
Evans' 17 kills broke her previous career-high of 15, which was also against Marian during the 2014 season. Chaussee had six kills and 10 digs, while Renee Meister chipped in five kills on seven attacks without an error for a .714 hitting percentage. Zapuchlak has 19 assists and Haley Schwenn 16 as the Eagles' leading setters. Nichole Schaeve registered a team-high 17 digs. Dammen had a piece of four of the Eagles seven blocks on the night.
Marian University was led by Caitlyn Brehm who had nine kills and just one error. Libero Jenna Skroski led the Sabres with eight digs. As a team, Marian hit just .058 for the match, compared to .356 for Edgewood College.
Edgewood College will return to conference action Thursday night when the team travels to Milwaukee to face MSOE. The Eagles and Raiders will get underway at the Kern Center at 7:00 p.m.
