AURORA, ILL. – The Edgewood College Eagles women's volleyball team headed south for a rematch of last year's Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference (NACC) Championship Thursday. They took on the Aurora Spartans in a conference clash. The Eagles (13-9, 6-1 NACC) left no room for doubt as they claimed a commanding 3-0 (25-18, 25-22, 25-15) sweep of the Spartans (12-10, 6-1) to take down the lone remaining NACC unbeaten.
HOW IT HAPPENED
- Defense helped Edgewood College ahead early 6-1. Aurora would close within two on a 3-0 sprint, but three straight kills had the Eagles offense flying ahead 15-10. The Spartans struggled to make headway as the visitors kept them at bay, effectively finishing off the set with four straight points to lead 24-16 on route to a 1-0 lead.
- The Edgewood College defense held Aurora's offense to a .000 hitting percentage in the opening frame.
- The two squads wrestled for control of frame two early. A 5-1 run from the Eagles was almost matched by a 4-1 response from the Spartans as the squads were tied at 12-12. After the two teams exchanged 3-0 salvos, Edgewood College's offense took control of the set, four kills and an ace fueling a 7-2 burst for a 22-17 edge. Aurora would close within 23-21 off a 4-1 run but kills from
Payton Millin and
Cassidy Spies would clinch a 2-0 match lead.
- The third frame appeared to be a similar story to the second, with the Eagles nursing a 12-11 margin after a 6-2 rally from them and a 3-1 reply from the Spartans. Edgewood College completely took over the set after to seal the match on a 13-4 bombardment, earning a decisive sweep of their conference foe by hitting .520 for the set.
- Spies led the way for the Eagles hitters, swinging for 14 kills on 31 attempts for a .355 hitting percentage. She added on six digs and two aces.
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Katie Borchert also played a key role on offense with eight kills on a .353 hitting percentage.
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Abbey Eivins and
Abigail Hoffmann fueled the relentless assault with 20 and 17 assists respectively. Eivins tacked on seven digs and Hoffmann three blocks.
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Mia Hinkamper continued to play well at libero, recording 10 digs and two aces.
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Abbey Falk earned seven kills on a .700 hitting percentage as well as a team-high five blocks. Millin tallied four blocks.
- Pond swung for five kills with a .200 hitting percentage, while
Jennacy Wille contributed seven digs.
- Edgewood College had a commanding .308-to-.119 lead in hitting percentage for the evening.
- Lulu Torres paced all hitters with 16 kills for the evening. She earned a double-double with 11 digs.
- Kate Poellmann earned 10 kills. Hannah Joseph contributed 15 assists, while Lilly Vance tacked on four blocks.
BEYOND THE BOX SCORE
- The Eagles have won three in a row against the Spartans.
- Edgewood College has won 11 of their last 13 matches.
- Spies has hit over .300 in her last three matches. Her .355 hitting percentage tonight is her best among games where she has at least 20 attempts.
- The Eagles' .308 hitting percentage is their second-best on the season, only behind their .358 hitting percentage at Alverno (September 19).
- Aurora's .119 hitting percentage is their lowest in a NACC match this season.
UP NEXT
Edgewood College look to keep their momentum rolling as they take on another NACC Tournament qualifier from last season. They'll host the Lakeland Muskies at the Todd Wehr Edgedome Saturday with first serve scheduled for 2:00 p.m. The Muskies claimed the last outing in the series in 2023.
