CHICAGO, ILL. – Women's Volleyball hit the road once again Saturday for a pair of important matches. They kicked off their NACC Championship defense against Illinois Tech before duking it out versus North Central in a nonconference affair. The Eagles (7-3, 1-0 NACC) continued to fly high, taking down the Scarlet Hawks (2-7, 0-1) 3-1 (25-17, 14-25, 25-19, 25-22), then blanked the Cardinals (10-3) 3-0 (27-25, 25-15, 25-21).
MATCH ONE: EDGEWOOD UNIVERSITY 3, ILLINOIS TECH 1 (25-17, 14-25, 25-19, 25-22)
- After the Scarlet Hawks started ahead 4-1, six points in a row featuring three kills propelled the Eagles to a 7-4 edge. The offense continued to click on a 5-1 rally, pushing the visitors up 16-11. They flew high towards the end of the set, two kills and an ace fueling a 5-1 finisher.
- Illinois Tech bounced back in a big way in set two. They started the set ahead 15-3 and never looked back as they evened the match 1-1.
- After struggling with mistakes in the opening salvos, Edgewood University found their wings with a 5-1 rally and a 16-12 advantage in the third frame. Finishing the set off strong, the Eagles went ahead 2-1 off the back of a 6-2 stretch.
- The squads grappled for position throughout the fourth, with the Scarlet Hawks nursing slim leads through the opening portions. Edgewood University took flight late in the set to clinch the victory, an 8-3 rally clinching a hard-fought conference battle.
- The Eagles won the hitting battle .135-to.129. They had a key advantage in blocks 10-to-6.
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Katie Borchert paced the offense with 11 kills on a .370 hitting percentage. She also contributed nine digs and four blocks.
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Abbey Eivins and
Kate Gunderson posted 16 and 13 assists respectively. Gunderson added a pair of assists.
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Mia Hinkamper anchored the back line with 16 digs.
Payton Millin held down the fort at the net with four blocks.
- Karla Trautmann-Mendez posted 17 kills and 10 digs for a double-double.
- Rowan Midgette tallied 32 assists.
MATCH TWO: EDGEWOOD UNIVERSITY 3, NORTH CENTRAL 0 (27-25, 25-15, 25-21)
- A big 7-0 burst from the Cardinals had North Central in control of the first set. Down 18-12 late, the Eagles made their move. A furious 8-2 barrage by the offense brought the set back to a dead heat. North Central pushed ahead, up 24-22. With their backs at the wall, Edgewood University's offense was in sync as a 5-1 rally gave them a 1-0 lead.
- After the two squads battled to an early 10-10 tie, the Eagles exploded ahead. Smothering defense and potent offense had them up 2-0 in the match after finishing the second frame on a 15-5 stretch.
- Edgewood University kept rolling in set three. They led 17-10 as the Cardinals struggled for answers. A 7-3 rally late from North Central pushed them within three, but it was too little too late as the Eagles claimed the sweep.
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Nida Zukauskaite had an excellent match, earning 13 kills on 29 attempts for a .310 hitting percentage as well as four blocks. She earned a double-double with 14 digs.
- Gunderson and Eivins posted 17 and 14 assists respectively.
- Hinkamper paced the defense with 15 digs.
BEYOND THE BOX SCORE
- The Eagles have won five-straight over Illinois Tech. Their victory over North Central snapped a three-match losing streak to the Cardinals.
- A box score for the North Central match will be available later.
UP NEXT
Edgewood University will continue NACC action on the road Thursday. They'll travel to Plymouth, Wis. to take on the Lakeland Muskies. First serve is scheduled for 7:00 p.m.
