MORRIS, Minn. - The University of Northwestern Volleyball team continued to sweep its way through the UMAC schedule Friday night, sweeping the University of Minnesota Morris in the UMAC Game of the Week. A clash between two of the top three teams in the conference, the Eagles were able to fend off a UMM team hungry for revenge, winning 25-19, 25-16, 25-18 to improve to 7-0 in league play and record its 14th sweep of the year.
Two quick kills each from
Miranda Wyatt (Manhattan, Mont./Manhattan Christian) and
Ana Egge (Rapid City, S.D./Rapid City Christian) gave UNW an early 4-1 lead. Morris battled back to gain an 8-7 edge, and the two teams began trading runs, with neither side able to separate by more than two points until Northwestern closed out the set on a 6-1 run, getting four kills from four different players.
Two Egge kills, plus aces from Alan Costello and
Libby Weckman (Shakopee, Minn./Southwest Christian), allowed the Eagles to take an early 8-5 lead in the second set, but the Cougars were once again able to fight back to even the score at 11. Another 6-1 run put UNW in control at 17-12, and they closed out the 25-16 win on yet another 6-1 run, getting three more kills and an ace from Egge, plus another ace from Weckman.
The early goings of set three were tight as well, until an 8-2 run broke things open for Northwestern. Minnesota Morris tried to rally, but every attempt was met with a counter from the visitors. Back-to-back Wyatt kills finished off the 25-18 set and gave the Eagles another sweep under their belt.
Egge paced the offensive attack with 14 kills, adding five digs, two blocks and an ace. Wyatt hit .389 en route to 10 kills and a match-high three blocks.
Anja Jarchow (Luverne, Minn./Luverne) and
Emma Sip (Rogers, Minn./Rogers) contributed two blocks apiece, while
Addeson Jenniges (Walnut Grove, Minn./Westbrook-Walnut Grove) dished out a match-high 21 assists. Costello's 17 digs were a match high as well, and she added two aces, while Weckman chipped in eight digs and three aces.
Elese Paplow (Lakefield, Minn./Jackson County Central) also recorded two aces.
UNW's four-match road trip will wrap up tomorrow when the Eagles visit Crown at 1:00 PM.
