WINONA, Minn. – The Edgewood College women's volleyball team was so close to a perfect 2-0 start to their 2018 season the could taste it. But the Eagles settled for a split after a difficult five-set loss to Augustana College (Ill.) and a bounce back 3-1 victory over Northland College on the first day of the Sugar Loaf Classic.
After dropping the opening set to Augustana, Edgewood College (1-1) trailed 11-7 in the second set and seemed to be facing a deep hole. However, a pair of blocks by Tori Wiskow and Cole Jordee and two kills from freshman Sarah Pfeifer sparked a 7-1 run to give the Eagles the lead. The Eagles eventually scored the final three points of the set, with the set point coming on another assisted block from Wiskow and Jordee for a 25-20 win.
In the third set, Amanda Meister served off six straight points with three kills from Pfeifer to give the Eagles a 16-9 lead over Augustana College (1-1). Edgewood College cruised to a 25-17 and a 2-1 lead in the match. However, Eagle attackers lost their touch in the final two sets, hitting for a negative attack percentage in each and falling 25-21, 20-25, 17-25, 25-19, 15-5.
Pfeifer made a memorable collegiate debut with 15 kills, eight digs and a service ace. Wiskow was a monster in the front row recording six blocks which tied her career-high at Edgewood College. Another freshman Lizzie Lightner had eight kills and a .267 attack percentage, while Brittany Sager also eight kills and two aces. Meister smashed her career-high in two categories with five service aces and 18 digs in the match. Alex Zapuchlak led the team with 26 assists, while Sarah Uczen had a team-high 22 digs.
Edgewood College took their opening match frustrations out on Northland College (0-2). The Eagles exploded to a 13-2 lead in the first set, behind four kills and a block from Lightner. In the second set, Grace Zimmer posted two aces in a 5-0 run to give the Eagles a 17-10 advantage that they would maintain to go ahead two sets to none.
The Lumberjills scored their first set victory of the season in the third, and pushed the Eagles to the brink in the fourth set. Edgewood College trailed 20-16 in the fourth set, but three kills in four points by Sager followed by an ace from Meister tied the set at 21-21. The Eagles then stared down two straight set points, before scoring the final four points to close the match. Megan Schwartz and Mackenzie Doherty had kills in the final run, which was ended by a Zapuchlak ace.
No Eagle recorded double digit kills, but Doherty, Pfeifer and Sager all had nine kills apiece. Pfeifer hit .389 for the match. Nichole Schaeve had three aces and Uczen collected 18 digs to the lead the team. Zapuchlak had a team-high 19 assists, while Sager and Ella Carpenter had 11 assists apiece.
Edgewood College will face the host school, St. Mary's University (Minn.) in their first match on Saturday, before closing the Sugar Loaf Classic against Luther College.
