MILWAUKEE, Wis. – Women's Volleyball returned to action Thursday on the road. They hit the road for a NACC showdown with the MSOE Raiders. In a five-set thriller, the Raiders 9-5, 3-0 NACC) defended home court with a 3-2 (25-20, 23-25, 23-25, 27-25, 15-11) victory over the Eagles (13-5, 3-1).
 
HOW IT HAPPENED
- The squads exchanged blows in a hotly contested opening set. While Edgewood University carved out a 15-13 edge, MSOE found their stride with six unanswered as they carried their momentum to a first set win.
 
- The second frame started similarly to the first, with MSOE going on a 4-0 stretch to claim a 16-12 advantage. A 9-3 stretch pulled the Eagles back ahead late 21-19 and Edgewood University would keep the Raiders at arm's length to even the match.
 
- MSOE pulled ahead 11-7 as they had momentum early in the third set. The Eagles found their moment with a 4-1 rally to pull even 16-16. A 4-1 follow-up put Edgewood University up 20-17 late. They once again closed strong, holding off the Raiders for another 25-23 set.
 
- MSOE had the winds at their back as they looked to force a fifth set. After being tied 7-7, the Raiders put together a 6-2 rally for a four-point edge. The Eagles struggled to overcome their deficit with MSOE nursing their lead late into the set. Edgewood University managed to trim their deficit down to 22-20 late as they looked to end the set. A 4-2 run from the Eagles kept them alive, but the Raiders staved off match point and forced a fifth set with 3 unanswered points.
 
- MSOE started strong in the fifth set, four unanswered points pushing them ahead 6-2. The Raiders snowballed, building up a 9-3 lead as they looked to clinch the five-set thriller. While the Eagles would cut the deficit down to three late, MSOE outlasted them to claim a hard-fought win.
 
- The Raiders outhit the Eagles .179-to-.168. They also had an 8-to-5 edge in blocks. Edgewood University finished with 35 attack errors.
 
- Molly Amendt posted 16 kills and a .233 hitting percentage on 43 attempts. Reagan Siebler earned 15 kills and hit .216 on 37 tries. Natalie Murphy contributed 12 kills.
 
- Nida Zukauskaite recorded a 12-kill, 16-dig double-double.
 
- Shannon Rusch paced all players with 36 digs.
 
- Abbey Eivins tallied 31 assists and 14 digs. Laila Rasmussen posted 22 assists of her own.
 
- Payton Millin and Bella Braun each had a pair of aces, with Millin adding three blocks.
 
- Ella Nothstein recorded a 16-kill, 18-dig double-double. She hit .255 on 41 swings. Maddie Abel led all players with 45 assists.
 
BEYOND THE BOX SCORE
- The loss snapped a 29-match NACC winning streak.
 
- Rusch's 36 digs were a new career high. They are tied for fourth on the all-time record books for Edgewood University.
 
UP NEXT
The Eagles will return home to the Todd Wehr Edgedome Saturday. They will host the Dominican Stars as NACC action continues. First serve is scheduled for noon.