MADISON, Wis. – Savannah Koester posted seven kills and became the ninth Eagle to reach 1000 career kills, but it wasn't enough in arguably the most competitive match of the season for the Edgewood College volleyball team in 3-1 (19-25, 27-25, 26-24, 25-22) defeat to No. 7 UW-Whitewater on Wednesday night. Neither team led by more than four points in a match that featured 39 ties and 23 lead changes.
In an error filled match where neither side hit above .190, the Eagles (12-13) came out firing out of the gate to take the first set, 25-19, and gain the early advantage. It was a pleasant surprise as the Eagles had gotten off to slow starts in losing the first set in each of their previous four matches.
A back-and-forth battle ensued as both teams looked to minimize mistakes the rest of the match. Despite facing set points in the crucial second and third sets, it was the Warhawks (19-3) who managed to close out the Eagles en route to their 12th straight victory.
In the pivotal second set that saw a match-high 16 ties and nine lead changes, the Eagles surrendered set point after leading 25-24. The Warhawks rattled off three straight points after a pair of kills and an attack error by the Eagles to win set two.
It was nearly the same story for the Eagles in the third set as they squandered a 24-23 lead and watched the Warhawks steal set three with another three-point run. A Renee Meister kill kept the Eagles within range as they trailed 24-22 in the final set. A Warhawk kill, the team's 56th of the match, denied the Eagles their first win over a ranked team this season.
Koester posted seven kills on the night and notched her 1000th kill late in the final set to keep the Eagles in it. The senior out of Monroe, Wis. is already the career record holder in aces and sits ninth all-time in kills.
Erika Van Engen finished with a team-high 12 kills, and Haley Schwenn distributed 20 assists and racked up 10 digs for her third double-double in the last five matches. The Warhawk attack countered with four players recording 10 or more kills, including Sydney Racky who posted a match-high 14 kills and a .379 hitting percentage.
The Eagles hit. 134 on the match and dropped to 1-13 when hitting below .145 this season.
After nearly giving the Warhawks more then they could handle, the Eagles face off against Lakeland this Friday, October 20 at 7:00 p.m. in the Edgedome for Senior night. Five seniors will be honored including Schwenn, Koester, Renee Meister, Emily Chaussee, and Mackenzie Hannan.
