ST. PAUL, Minn. – The Kathryne Pals Legacy Invitational concluded on Saturday as the Ericksen Center split into two courts to host the four participating teams. The University of Northwestern's simultaneous doubleheader ended in a split, as the Eagles lost a tight, 3-1 match to Coe College (20-25, 24-26, 25-19, 24-26), before ending the weekend with a convincing, 3-1 win over the University of Wisconsin-River Falls (25-17, 20-25, 25-16, 25-17). After the conclusion of the event, UNW's
Marley Aune (New Brighton, Minn./Avail Academy) (who recorded her 400
th career kill against Coe) and
Addeson Jenniges (Walnut Grove, Minn./Westbrook-Walnut Grove) were named to the All-Tournament Team.
Match One: Coe College Kohawks
The morning match proved to be the best of the tournament, which shouldn't come as a surprise considering Northwestern and Coe played a five-set, instant classic last season in this very event and both teams received Top 25 votes in the AVCA Preseason Coaches Poll. UNW got out to an 8-5 lead in set once thanks to kills by Jenniges, Aune,
Miranda Wyatt (Manhattan, Mont./Manhattan Christian) and
Ana Egge (Rapid City, S.D./Rapid City Christian), but the Kohawks stormed back to take a 9-8 advantage. Consecutive kills by Wyatt and Aune put the Eagles back in front, but Coe once again made a run to edge ahead by two. Two Aune, kills, one from Egge and a
Mikayla Wilber (Coon Rapids, Minn./Coon Rapids) ace swung the score back in Northwestern's favor, but a 6-1 run for the visitors put them in front for good as they took the opening set, 25-20.
UNW again struck first in set two with a Wyatt kill and an Aune block, but Coe rallied for three-straight to go ahead. The Eagles responded with a 7-2 surge that included another Wilber ace and kill from four different players before the teams started a back-and-forth affair. Northwestern led by as much as four (15-11) before another 6-1 run gave the Kohawks a one-point edge. UNW's lone point in that run was a significant one; however, as it was Aune's 400
th block of her career.
Beth Wilmeth's crew was able to squeeze ahead 21-20 after an
Anja Jarchow (Luverne, Minn./Luverne) kill, but Coe won the race to 24, setting up a set point. Wyatt hammered a kill to tie it up and extend the set, but the opposition claimed the next two points to take a thrilling, 26-24 set.
The first nine points of the third set were alternated between the two teams, but UNW ultimately was able to put up three-straight to take a 9-7 lead. The set remained tight as Wyatt and Olsen continued to play well on both sides of the net, determined to push the match to a fourth set. An Aune kill and an Olsen ace made Northwestern's lead five, then consecutive blocks by Aune and co. made it 23-17. Sophomores Jenniges and Egge tallied kills to close out the set, 25-19, and extend the match.
Wyatt and Aune began the fourth set with kills, and it appeared the home team had some momentum. A 9-1 Kohawks run halted that juice, but it certainly did not kill it. After falling behind 14-6 and appearing on the brink of defeat, the Eagles put together an electric 15-3 run to take a 21-17 lead. Aune and Jarchow each had multiple kills in the run. Despite the rejuvenated Ericksen Center crowd losing its mind, Coe was able to weather the storm, putting together yet another 6-1 run to regain the lead at 23-22. Wyatt tied it at 23 with a kill and Egge did the same to even things at 24, but the Kohawks again dug deep and found what it needed to win, 26-24, and finish off the match, 3-1.
In what was about as tight and exciting of a four-set match as you'll see, Wyatt finished with 13 kills and two blocks, while Aune totaled 12 and seven, respectively. Egge added eight kills while Jarchow had seven and two blocks. Wilber led the team with 17 digs and a pair of aces, followed by Moravchik with 12 digs, and Jenniges and
Ella Bourne (Clara City, Minn./MACCRAY) each with 11. Jenniges tallied 36 assists as well.
Match Two: University of Wisconsin-River Falls Falcons
The final match of the weekend for Northwestern took place against UW-River Falls, who came in 0-2 so far in the tournament. The Falcons still showed fight from the opening serve, as they led 8-7 early before UNW rattled off a 6-0 run to seize control. Olsen began the spurt with a kill and Wyatt chipped in a block. The remainder of the set was relatively back-and-forth, but the Eagles had already earned the necessary cushion to win it, 25-17. Jarchow logged three kills down the stretch to close it out.
Set number two began with alternating points as well, started off by a
Hannah Rich (Lakeville, Minn./Lakeville North) ace. The margin stayed within a point on either side until UWRF took a 12-9 lead, but an Olsen kill trimmed the deficit back to one. But River Falls persisted, continuing to score two points for every Northwestern point, until the visitors won the set, 25-20.
The third frame saw much of the parity in the early goings that the first two did, as it was 5-5 before a Rich ace and a Jarchow kill highlighted a 5-1 UNW run to put the hosts in front, 10-6. The lead grew to 16-9 after kills by Olsen, Jenniges and Egge, as well as a Bourne ace. More kills from Aune, Egge and Olsen made it 22-14 as Northwestern continued to overpower the Falcons. The set would end in a 25-16 win for the Eagles.
UNW didn't waste much time asserting itself in the fourth set, as before you could blink, the Eagles led 13-3. UW-River Falls had one last push in itself, trimming the deficit to 16-12, but Northwestern answered with a 5-1 spurt, including back-to-back Olsen kills, to settle back in. Jarchow, Aune and Bourne finished things off with a kill apiece, finishing off a 25-17 set win and a 3-1 match victory.
Olsen was the only Eagle with double figure kills, finishing with seven to go with a pair of blocks. Jarchow and Aune each contributed nine kills, with the latter adding four more blocks. Wyatt tallied three blocks, while Moravchik and Rich logged 20 and 17 digs. Rich and Bourne each had two aces, and Jenniges dished out 34 assists.
Up Next
Northwestern will be back at home next weekend for the KTIS Classic, beginning with a match against No. 12 Millikin University at 7:00 PM on Friday, September 5
th.
