Saint Mary's University 3, UW-Stout 1
MENOMONIE (October 3, 2018) - When it looked like Saint Mary's University would sweep the match, UW-Stout staged a comeback in the third set to extend play. But a tight fourth set would come out in Saint Mary's favor as the Cardinals took the match, 25-21, 25-20, 27-29, 25-23.
Trailing by as much as six (18-12), midway through the third set, Stout began to rally. A couple of errors by the Cardinals made it 18-14 and a block by
Kara Simonson (Jr, Otsego, Minn) and
McKylie Hoff (Jr, Barron) pulled Stout to with three. The Blue Devils fell back again by as much as five points, then pulled to within two points on on Simonson's kill.
Lexie Nelson (Fr, St. Michael, Minn) would get three of her match-high 18 kills down the final stretch as the Blue Devils took the match 29-27. Nelson had five kills in the third set.
The fourth set was tight throughout, with the teams tied at 21 apiece.
Jessica DuVal (Jr, Logan, Iowa) gave Stout the lead with a service ace. The Cardinals took the lead back with a block and two straight kills to lead 24-22. Hoff pulled Stout to withing 24-23 with a kill, but the Card's Linnea Wallis recorded the match-ending kill.
For Nelson, it was a career night with 18 kills, her fifth match in double-digit kills this freshman season.
Kennedy Strain (Sr, Elk River, Minn) reached a milestone in the first set when she earned her 1000th career kill and would go on to finish the night with 11 sets. Strain was strong on the block tonight, picking up six solo blocks and two assisted blocks.
Gloria Kitange finished with 13 kills, one solo block and four assisted blocks. Brittney Flom had 10 kills and four assisted blocks. Both setters, Stout DuVal and the Cardinals' Lillian Braun, finished with 37 assists.
Stout will be at Augsburg University, Saturday, Oct. 6 at 11 a.m.
