St. Cloud State
19-4,14-1NSIC
Minnesota Crookston
1-19,0-15NSIC
Volleyball spooks Golden Eagles in sweep
10/30/2021 4:12:00 PM | Volleyball
#14 Huskies move into sole possession of first place in NSIC standings
ST. CLOUD, Minn. – There were plenty of treats and a few tricks at the St. Cloud State University volleyball match Saturday afternoon. The #14 Huskies dismantled the Minnesota-Crookston Golden Eagles, sweeping the visitors 3-0 (25-9, 25-15, 25-14) to improve to 19-4 overall with a 14-1 mark in Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference (NSICO play.
NO TRICKS NOW
There was no doubt which team was the best in the gym Saturday afternoon, as St. Cloud State established its dominance early and often against Minnesota-Crookston. Thanks to a 13-point serving run by Keely Kurschner (Maplewood, Minn. / Hill-Murray) and annahilating play from Linsey Rachel (Maple Lake, Minn. / Maple Lake), the Huskies took the first set 25-9. Rachel finished the set with an impressive eight kills on 11 swings and did not commit a single error, while Kurschner's 13 point run is the longest for a St. Cloud State student-athlete this season.
The second set was once again defined by the Huskies' domination, though the visitors showed spunk and tenacity. In fact, it was the Golden Eagles who led early in the set, taking a 10-6 lead after some uncharacteristic hitting errors by St. Cloud State. Once the Huskies got going, though, they were hard to stop. Fueled by a serving run by Kobie Dills (Cedar Rapids, Iowa / Cedar Rapids Washington) and outstanding defensive play, St. Cloud State took a 12-10 lead and went on to win the second set 25-16 on yet another kill by Rachel. The Huskies were equally as commanding in set three, cruising to a 25-14 win for the 3-0 sweep.
TOP HUSKIES
- Senior outside Linsey Rachel (Maple Lake, Minn. / Maple Lake) once again led the match in kills, closing the three-setter with 17 total on 30 swings while hitting .500 from the outside.
- Fifth year setter Maddy Torve (Loretto, Minn. / Heritage Christian Academy) closed the match with 35 assists and led St. Cloud State to a .368 hitting percentage.
- Rachel Houle (Stillwater, Minn. / Stillwater) led the match in digs, as she tallied 12 in the three set victory. Keely Kurschner closed the match with 11 digs.
IN LINSEY RACHEL WE TRUST
Rachel put on a clinic in the Huskies three set win over Minnesota-Crookston, tallying 17 kills while commiting just two errors in 30 swings. Thanks to her performance against the Golden Eagles, Rachel brings her week total to 32 kills, meaning she averaged a team-leading 5.33 kills per set against Minnesota-Crookston and Minnesota-Duluth.
ALONE AT THE TOP
With St. Cloud State's win and Concordia-St. Paul's loss to #10 Winona State, the Huskies gained sole position of the top spot in the NSIC standings. Additionally, St. Cloud State extended its win streak to nine consecutive matches, closing the month of October with an impressive 9-1 record. It marks the best record in the month of October for the Huskies in the Chad Braegelmann era, and the team's nine match win streak in conference play is the longest since St. Cloud State rejoined the NSIC in 2008.
UP NEXT
The Huskies open a three-match home stand on Tuesday, November 2 when they host Bemidji State University. First serve is scheduled for 6:00 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.
