St. Cloud State
10-4,5-1NSIC
Concordia-St. Paul
12-2,6-0NSIC
Huskies come up short to #4 Concordia-St. Paul
10/1/2021 8:55:00 PM | Volleyball
St. Cloud State drops first NSIC match of 2021
ST. CLOUD, Minn. – The St. Cloud State University volleyball team has made a name for itself winning unexpected matches against the top foes in the nation. With two top-5 wins under their belts already, the #16 Huskies looked to add another with a win over #4 Concordia-St. Paul Friday night. That simply wasn't in the cards. Though St. Cloud State battled and forced a fourth set against the national powerhouse, a win wasn't in the cards, as the team fell in Halenbeck Hall 3-1 (22-25, 35-33, 14-25, 24-26).
SURVIVAL OF THE FITTEST
The Golden Bears wasted no time proving why they were ranked No. 4 in the country in the opening set, as they raced out to a three point lead at 4-1. The Huskies, though, maintained pace with the national powerhouse, cutting the lead to two multiple times on kills by Phebie Rossi (Rapid City, S.D. / Stevens) and Allison Naughton (Des Moines, Iowa / Dowling Catholic). Still, the Concordia-St. Paul defense was playing at another level in the opening set, as the Golden Bears took a 1-0 lead with a 25-22 win.
St. Cloud State gained plenty of momentum towards the end of the first set, closing a five-point gap and rallying to tie the score 21-21. The momentum did not initially carry over to the second, as the Golden Bears again jumped out to a 4-1 lead. The Huskies, though, chipped and chipped away, using kills and an ace from Linsey Rachel (Maple Lake, Minn. / Maple Lake) to tie the set at 12-12.
Then… madness ensued. The 12-12 tie was indicative of things to come, as Concordia-St. Paul and St. Cloud State needed more than just 25 points to win the set. In fact, the two teams needed 35 to determine a victor, and that victor was none other than the Huskies. After falling behind 20-17, St. Cloud State won five of six points and tied the set at 21-21. The two nationally ranked teams then traded points before the Huskies took a seemingly definitive 24-23 lead on a kill by Bella Erne (Blaine, Minn. / Blaine). It was not definitive, as the two teams battled through 11 more points before St. Cloud State finally took the set 35-33 on a kill by none other than Rossi.
Concordia-St. Paul reset the tone in set three, taking a 2-1 lead in the match with a 25-14 victory. St. Cloud State couldn't recover in the fourth despite an early 4-1 lead. Still, the Huskies battled throughout the course of the set, forcing the Golden Bears to earn every single point in the set. Mistakes, however, proved costly for St. Cloud State, as the team's late fourth set rally came up short 26-24 and Concordia-St. Paul won the match 3-1.
TOP HUSKIES
- Junior middle blocker Phebie Rossi (Rapid City, S.D. / Stevens) was unstoppable for the Huskies Friday afternoon, as she led the team with 16 kills on 34 swings.
- Linsey Rachel (Maple Lake, Minn. / Maple Lake), Kenzie Foley (Sergeant Bluff, Iowa / Sergeant Bluff-Luton) and Bella Erne (Blaine, Minn. / Blaine) were catalysts of St. Cloud State's offense. Rachel and Foley each tallied 12 kills, while Erne recorded 11 and committed just one error over the course of four sets.
- Maddy Torve (Loretto, Minn. / Heritage Christian Academy) led the Huskies in both assists and digs Friday night, tallying 50 assists and 19 digs for another double-double.
SEEING DOUBLE
Linsey Rachel (Maple Lake, Minn. / Maple Lake) added another program record to her collection Friday evening. With her 12 kills and 15 digs, Rachel recorded the 48th double-double of her Huskies career, surpassing Leah Herrboldt to become the all-time leader in the category since it started being tracked in 1994. Rachel additionally moved into the No. 10 slot for career digs with 972 in her career.
MARATHON SECOND SET
St. Cloud State has never played a set to 30 points since the NCAA switched back to 25-point sets back in 2008. The 35-33 second set marks the longest in program history, according to available records, and the first time Huskies have played plast 30 points since the early 2000s.
UP NEXT
St. Cloud State will return to action Saturday afternoon, as the team hosts Minnesota State at 2:00 p.m. CT in Halenbeck Hall.
For all the latest on St. Cloud State Volleyball, stay tuned to SCSUHuskies.com and follow the team on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.
