MILWAUKEE, Wis. – The Edgewood College Eagles women's volleyball squad continued their road trip Saturday as they entered a final, pivotal conference matchup. They faced off against the MSOE Raiders in their Northern Athletic Collegiate Conference (NACC) regular season finale before battling with the Augustana Vikings. The Eagles (19-8, 12-1 NACC) clinched at least a part of the NACC regular reason title and the top seed in the conference tournament with a 3-0 (25-19, 25-23, 25-15) victory over the Raiders (7-17, 1-11), before falling to a tough Vikings squad in 3-0 (25-18, 35-33, 25-21) fashion.
 
MATCH ONE: EDGEWOOD COLLEGE 3, MSOE 0 (25-19, 25-23, 25-15)
- Two stretches of four unanswered points put the Eagles on 10-4 footing in frame one. The Raiders battled back in a big way, taking advantage of Edgewood College errors as well as their own offense and defense being in sync for an 11-5 reply to tie the set up 15-15. A 7-1 finisher with four kills cut MSOE's momentum and gave the Eagles a 1-0 lead in the match.
 
- The Raiders kept pace early in the second set and took advantage of Edgewood College mistakes for a 6-1 rally and a 15-12 lead. Three in a row from the visitors tied things back up at 16 apiece, but five straight from MSOE put Edgewood College in a precarious 22-17 spot. The Eagles replied in a huge way with an 8-1 rally featuring six kills to flip the script for a 2-0 match lead.
 
- Edgewood College errors gave the Raiders momentum early, but an 11-1 barrage put the Eagles at a 17-11 advantage before a 7-1 finisher closed the book on the set, match, and at least a share of the NACC regular season title.
   
- Edgewood College's offense was in sync the entire match as they outhit MSOE .237 to .079.

- Jennacy Wille held down the fort on defense with a match-high 26 digs.
 
- Ashley Bruehlman tallied a team-high 13 kills, while Abbey Falk led the way in blocks (four) and aces (two) with eight kills to her name.

- Abigail Hoffmann and Abbey Eivins continued to be a potent setter tandem with 15 and 12 assists respectively.  Hoffmann added eight kills to her stat line as well.
 
MATCH TWO: AUGUSTANA (ILL.) 3, EDGEWOOD COLLEGE 0 (25-15, 35-33, 25-21)
- The Vikings fired off the starting line with a 10-3 start to the match. A 6-2 rally clawed the lead down to 14-11, but Augustana would not be denied as they claimed a 1-0 match lead on an 8-2 run.
 
- The two squads hung around in the second set until a 6-2 stretch by the Eagles fueled a 19-14 advantage. A 5-1 answer by the Vikings cut the lead down to just a single point, and a later 4-1 run gave them set point at 24-23. An Augustana error kicked off what turned out to be a marathon of extra points. Edgewood College had the edge early, but a Viking kill followed by an Eagle error switched advantage to Augustana. The Edgewood College offense flipped set point back to their court for a couple of tries, but the Vikings found their rhythm with a 4-1 rally featuring three kills and an ace to finish a wild second set.
 
- A 4-2 lead early in set three would be the strongest edge the Eagles would hold in the frame. A 7-2 rally from Augustana would put the set back in their court. Edgewood College cut the lead down to 17-16 with a 6-2 stretch, but seven unanswered left the Vikings in prime 24-16 positioning. The Eagles would not go quietly into the night with five straight by their offense, but in the end Augustana's offense sealed the set and match with a final point.
 
- Aces were the story of the day, with the Vikings holding a 12-to-4 advantage in the category. Their offense was also more effective, with a .260-to-.191 margin in hitting percentage.
 
- Bruehlman anchored the Edgewood College offense and defense with her 14 kills and 19 digs team highs.
 
- Kate Gunderson hit three aces while Falk tallied five blocks.
 
- Hoffmann recorded 10 kills and 15 assists for another double-double.
 
- Eivins and Wille earned 15 assists and 11 digs respectively.
 
- Amelie Baehr-Ross fueled a strong showing by the Vikings offense with 30 assists while also playing a key role on defense with 16 digs.
 
BEYOND THE BOX SCORE
- With the victory against MSOE, the Eagles clinched the top overall seed in the NACC Tournament and earned at least a share of the regular season title for the first time since the 2015 campaign.
   
- Their 12-1 finish is their best record in conference play since 2015, where they finished 11-0. The 12 conference wins is also their most all-time.
 
- Bruehlman's 19 digs against Augustana was her personal best at Edgewood College.
 
- The Eagles hold a 40-14 advantage all-time against MSOE, while the Vikings now have a 5-4 series lead over Edgewood College.
 
UP NEXT
The Eagles continue their end of season road trip on Halloween night. They travel to face the UW-Platteville Pioneers in Platteville, Wis. with first serve scheduled for 7:00 p.m. on Tuesday. The Pioneers are receiving votes in the latest AVCA national rankings.