Box Score

CROOKSTON, Minn. – The third one is always the toughest.  Having faced the University of Minnesota, Crookston Golden Eagles twice already – once in conference play, once in non-conference – and having won both match-ups, Northern State took to the road Tuesday evening to face UMC for the third time in 2011.  And the Golden Eagles refused to go quietly.  
 
NSU was forced to rally from an opening set loss and overcome a spirited Golden Eagle comeback in the fourth to get the five-set road win by final set scores of 25-27, 25-16, 25-22, 26-28, 15-8.
 
Now winners of three of their last four matches, NSU improved to 9-8 overall and 4-6 in Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference, while UMC slipped to 8-11 on the year and 3-7 in the loop.
 
After dropping the opening set, the Wolves came busting back in the second to win handily by a 25-16 margin to take momentum with them into the break.  The Wolves also barreled their way to a third set victory and were up 6-1 early in the fourth before the Golden Eagles put the skids on the NSU run. 
 
UMC rallied to force seven ties in the late going in the fourth set starting at 19-all before coming away with the 28-26 victory to force the decisive fifth stanza.  Despite the late heroics, however, the Golden Eagles could not contain the Wolves in the fifth.
 
NSU scored the final four points of the set and match, using a pair of Golden Eagle errors before, fittingly, ending the match with a block from Claire Kopfmann and Morgan Richardson.  The Wolves posted 20 blocks as a team, setting a new NSIC record for team blocks in a conference match since moving to the 25-point system.  The 20 blocks were also the most by an NSU team since the 2000 season, when the Wolves posted 24.5 (9 solo, 31 assisted) in a five-set loss to University of South Dakota.  That match was played on the non-rally scoring, best of five, games to 15 system.
 
Kopfmann and Richardson led the way in Tuesday's effort, posting seven blocks apiece.  Paula Martins and Chelsea Chavez added five each.  Richardson, who turned in 16 digs and an all-around performance defensively, also added three service aces and dished out 53 assists to pace the NSU offensive effort.  Nineteen of those went to Konefesi Vaisigano, while Carli Petereson chimed in with 13 kills.
 
The Golden Eagles put four players in double figure kills, led by Amanda Swan's 15 and Katie Miedtke's 14.  UMC actually out-did the Wolves in total kills, but had to use 191 swings to get there and hit just .136 as a team.
 
NSU returns home for a single match this weekend, hosting the University of Mary on Saturday.  First serve is set for 6 p.m. in Wachs Arena.