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Carroll University Athletics

Scoreboard

Scoreboard

Dunnam action
Heather Taylor
1
Edgewood College EC 8-15
3
Winner Carroll University CARROLL 13-11
Edgewood College EC
8-15
1
Final
3
Carroll University CARROLL
13-11
Winner
Set Scores
Team 1 2 3 4 F
Edgewood College EC 14 25 16 16 (1)
Carroll University CARROLL 25 20 25 25 (3)

Game Recap: Women's Volleyball | | By Jeff Hagenau

Carroll captures second straight dual victory

Dunnam equals career high with 13 kills to lead Pios in home-court nonconference win over Edgewood

WAUKESHA, Wis. - Erika Dunnam's strong, aggressive hitting made a lasting impact.
Dunnam, a 6-foot-2 senior opposite hitter/middle blocker from Shawano, Wis., equaled her career high by finishing with 13 kills and three blocks as the Carroll University women's volleyball team defeated Edgewood College 25-14, 20-25, 25-16, 25-16 in a nonconference dual meet at Van Male Field House on Thursday night.
The tenacious, inspired effort completed a series of back-to-back victories for Carroll, which improved to 13-11 overall following its fifth, four-set victory of the season.
Tied 1-1 after the opening two sets, the Pioneers responded with a critical 25-16 victory in the pivotal, momentum-shifting third set - powered on an early 5-0 run highlighted by three consecutive kills from Dunnam and a kill by senior setter Emma Przeslicke (Evergreen Park, Ill.) to claim an 8-3 lead.
"Coming off of a victory on the road last night (referring to the team's CCIW sweep of North Central on Wednesday night), it felt good to be able to come back and get this one heading into Fall Break," said Dunnam, who had five kills and combined with freshman middle blocker MacKenzie Olson (Rock Falls, Ill.) for two blocks in the third set. "As we get into the final part of the regular-season, every win is big so it was pretty cool to come away with another one to build some momentum. With Senior Night coming in our next dual, it's been on our minds so we just want to continue to play as a team, compete hard for one another and keep it going."
The Pioneers built an 18-12 third-set lead and finished with authority by outscoring Edgewood 7-4 - including three, power-packed kills from senior outside hitter Kylie Mueller (Fox Lake, Ill.), individual kills from Dunnam and Olson and capped with service aces by senior setter Jennilyn Joy Cave (Bolingbrook, Ill.) and sophomore outside hitter Lauren Griepentrog (De Pere, Wis.).
"After they took the second set, that's when we stepped up both individually and as a team, executed and began to take control," said Mueller, a second-team all-conference selection in the talent-laden CCIW last season.
"It was hard because we got back from North Central around midnight and had a quick turnaround heading into this match. Being able to adjust to that type of situation really showed that we have the passion and a team that plays with intensity each step of the way. We wanted to win and it came across in our effort from beginning to end.
"Coming off last season, we were on a really good high (referring to the team's strong regular-season finish and berth in the prestigious CCIW Tournament) so its been great to see it continue and carry over into this year. We've had a lot of new players come into the program, step up and contribute which is something that has been greatly appreciated. We've performed very well over the course of our last few duals and hopefully we can make the most of it heading into our next conference matches."
Mueller followed with eight kills, eight digs and a block in the contest for the experienced Pioneers, who responded with 11 kills to fuel a .231 hitting percentage in the dominant third-set effort. Senior outside hitter Cassidy Mrotek (Manitowoc, Wis.) contributed five kills and two service aces.
Junior middle blocker Rachel Noonan (Crystal Lake, Ill.) had five kills, three blocks and three aces for Carroll, which earned its fifth, four-set victory of the season. Olson registered a team-best five blocks, junior outside hitter Sam Penzkowski (Racine, Wis.) collected nine digs and freshman defensive specialist Emily Konop (Oregon, Wis.) had 18 digs and four aces. Przeslicke added 21 assists.
Carroll head coach Becca Saal, in her 10th season at the helm, was quick to point out that her team's ability to stay consistent played a key role in the victory.
"Even though we make some mistakes, we counter that by doing a lot of good things (emphasizing the squad's strong serving, passing and aggressive blocks) and playing consistently enough to win matches," said Saal, whose team demonstrated its mental toughness by generating 40 kills to power a .235 hitting percentage, finishing with a statement-making 13 aces and seven blocks while committing just 12 errors. "When teams are more up and down, we have the ability to use our balanced offense to gradually take control during key times. During this match, when Edgewood would run a few points because of their serve, we did a nice job of mixing it up in our serve receive and showing the versatility of our athletes by using them in multiple positions, not just limiting them to front or back row. We also adjusted our blocks and forced them to work harder as they attempted to terminate the ball. I was very impressed by how our players continually showed that they are students of the game and attempted to make the most of each situation. From a coaching standpoint, it's very cool and exciting to see that happen. That balance and effort became a factor as the night went on."
Junior outside hitter Makenzie Doherty had 11 kills, seven digs and a block for Edgewood, which dropped to 8-15 overall.
Stay up to date on Carroll women's volleyball this season by going online to www.gopios.com, or by following the Pioneers on Facebook (Carroll University Athletics), Twitter (@pio_athletics), and Instagram (@pio_athletics).
 
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