Furious comeback ends in heartbreak as No. 7 Huskies fall in five to No. 6 Bulldogs

Tuesday, October 4

St. Cloud, Minn.

6:00 P.M. CT

St. Cloud State

14-3,6-3NSIC

Minnesota Duluth

16-1,8-1NSIC

Minn. Duluth

St. Cloud St.

Photo by: Kaitlyn Zuehl

Furious comeback ends in heartbreak as No. 7 Huskies fall in five to No. 6 Bulldogs

10/4/2022 9:25:00 PM | Volleyball

Box Score

Rachel double-doubles with 18 kills and 13 digs, Rossi adds 17 kills on .441 hitting

ST. CLOUD, Minn. – No. 7 St. Cloud State Volleyball came back from a 2-0 deficit to send the match to a fifth set but couldn't erase a shaky start to the final frame as they fell in five to No. 6 Minnesota Duluth on Tuesday evening at Halenbeck Hall.

Linsey Rachel double-doubled for the Huskies with 18 kills and 13 digs on .349 hitting, recording her 1400^th collegiate kill with her first swing of the night. Phebie Rossi added to the offense with 17 kills on .441 hitting, adding a season-high nine blocks.

Kenzie Foley picked up a double-double with 13 kills and 20 digs while Makena Hollman rounded out the offense with nine kills. Allena Shimon entered late in the second set, piling up a career-best 33 assists.

Turning Point
After dropping the first two sets, SCSU came storming back to take the second and fourth to send the match to a fifth. The Huskies stumbled early in the final frame, committing five errors and hitting .000. SCSU couldn't find a way to get into system, dropping the fifth set 15-10.

Quotables – St. Cloud State head coach Chad Braegelmann

"I'm really proud of the way our women battled. One of our goals was starting out really strong – we did not do that in the first set and absolutely did not do that in the second. I thought we did a much better job in the third and fourth. Our focus was better, our execution was better. In the fifth set, we led 2-1 and then the wheels just fell off. That part's pretty frustrating. Overall, we're happy with our women – Allena Shimon did a good job, Phebie Rossi did a great job offensively and blocking-wise, it was a fun match. It was a great environment. Our Swim & Dive team was awesome again as usual when they're at matches, they brought another level to the gym."

On the SCSU defensive adjustments… "We just talked a little bit about block lineup and eye sequencing, making sure we're watching the hitters as they line up their approach. Our diggers did a much better job of being intentional – Duluth's hitters helped us a little bit by cranking some balls out of bounds and wide."

On Linsey Rachel's presence on the court… "There's more than one swing she took tonight where you watch and think, 'Wow, she has another gear.' She gets up and elevates. She's so consistent. We talk all the time about the superlatives with Linsey, she's so good and she's so consistent. I'm really proud of the way she played tonight. The team looks to her when they need to make plays."

On Phebie Rossi's red-hot stretch… "She's pretty locked-in and motivated. She trusts our setters. She has some physical things that she does, she's able to swing high, hard and aggressive. That puts our opponents in some pretty bad situations. It's a tip of the cap to her, our setters and our passers. She's been a great, consistent player for us."
On approaching a difficult weekend against two strong defenses… "The big thing is being patient with our attackers so they don't panic if the first, second or third swing doesn't score. We have to be patient. Hopefully we can be in system a little bit more so we can push the tempo and put them in some uncomfortable situations defensively."

Notables

Linsey Rachel recorded career kill No. 1400 with an 18-kill, 13-dig double-double
Rachel hit .349 while delivering her sixth double-double of the season
Phebie Rossi hit .441 with 17 kills and nine blocks
In her last two matches, Rossi has hit .451 with 44 kills and 15 blocks while averaging 5.40 points/set
Kenzie Foley double-doubled with 13 kills and 20 digs, recording her 10^th double-double of the year
Allena Shimon dished out a career-best 33 assists

Up Next
The Huskies close out their three-match homestand with tilts against Upper Iowa and Winona State on Friday and Saturday. First serve is scheduled for 6:00 p.m. CT Friday and 2:00 p.m. CT on Saturday.

Information regarding single game and season tickets can be found at scsutickets.com. For all the latest on St. Cloud State Volleyball, stay tuned to SCSUHuskies.com and follow the team on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.