ROCKFORD, ILL. – The Edgewood College Eagles women's volleyball squad hit the road as they returned to Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference (NACC) action Thursday. They faced off with the Rockford Regents. The Eagles (16-9, 8-1 NACC) clinched a berth to the NACC Tournament with a 3-1 (25-21, 25-11, 22-25, 25-13) victory over the Regents (10-10, 1-8).
HOW IT HAPPENED
- While Edgewood College had early momentum, errors helped Rockford string together four points in a row as they took a slim 8-7 edge early. The advantage proved to be stubborn, with the Regents holding a 17-15 tally late, but the Eagles took command of the set and match with a 10-4 burst to close out the frame.
- Edgewood College's offense hit mach nine in the second set. They outhit Rockford .444-to-.030 and didn't record a single attack error in 27 attempts. A 6-2 run put them ahead 13-5, but eight points in a row sent them flying ahead 21-7 as they took a 2-0 lead in the match.
- The Regents managed to regain momentum in the third set as the Eagles' offense came back down to earth. An 11-3 stretch in favor of Rockford put them ahead 14-8. While Edgewood College closed within 15-13 off the back of a 5-1 rally, the Regents kept them at a distance up 20-16. The Eagles wouldn't give in, evening the set 21-21 with a 5-1 burst of their own, but the hosts would stay alive with a 4-1 answer.
- Down 3-2 early in the fourth, Edgewood College flipped the switch with 13 unanswered points as they left Rockford in the dust. The Regents had no answers to the Eagles' offense and defense, Edgewood College hitting .269 and holding Rockford to a -.091 hitting percentage as they clinched the set and match.
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Katie Borchert paced the high-flying Eagles with 11 kills and a .276 hitting percentage on 29 swings. She also recorded a pair of blocks, a pair of aces, and seven digs.
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Abbey Falk played a key role on offense and defense. She hit 10 kills with a .533 hitting percentage on 15 attempts and added five blocks.
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Cassidy Spies recorded 11 digs and nine kills.
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Abigail Hoffmann did a bit of everything. She posted 28 assists, four aces, three blocks, nine digs, and seven kills with a .227 hitting percentage on 22 attacks.
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Abbey Eivins earned 11 assists while
Mia Hinkamper tallied 15 digs.
- Madisen Perry led the match with 15 kills for the Regents.
- Leila Cooks earned a 15-assist, 14-dig double-double.
- Edgewood College outhit Rockford .215-to-.057 for the match. They held a decisive 55-to-37 edge in kills.
BEYOND THE BOX SCORE
- The postseason berth is the program's third-straight trip to the NACC Tournament.
- Eivins recorded her 1000th career assist as an Eagle in the victory.
- Edgewood College has won 15 in a row over the Regents and are 26-8 overall in the all-time series.
- The Eagles have hit .200 or better in six of their last seven outings.
UP NEXT
Edgewood College will play their second-to-last road tilt of the regular season on Saturday. They will face off with the Marian Sabres as NACC action continues. First serve is scheduled for noon in Fond du Lac, Wis.
