Long Rally Queens
In a match that featured long rally after long rally, Concordia was able to come up with the majority of the winners and beat Hamline 3-1.
MOORHEAD, Minn. (10/04/17)---In a match that featured long rally after long rally, Concordia was able to come up with the majority of the winners and beat Hamline 3-1 (25-14, 25-20, 24-25, 25-17).
The win snaps a three-game slide for the Cobbers and brings their overall record to 4-10 on the year. Concordia is now 2-4 in MIAC play and only two matches out of a playoff spot.
While the match only featured four sets it was almost a full two hours long because of the extended rallies during the entire span of the contest. The teams combined for over 200 digs as most points were not settled with just one time over the net.
Concordia didn't trail in the match until the third set. The Cobbers bolted to a 6-1 lead and then extended it to 12-4 before winning by 11 at 25-14. The second set was a much closer affair with Hamline staying within three points until the middle of the set. Concordia led 10-8 but then won eight of the next 13 points to grab an 18-13 lead. They would trade points for the remainder of the frame and win 25-20.
The Cobbers couldn't put away the Pipers in the third set. Concordia held an 18-15 lead before HU ran off three straight points to tie the set at 18-18. The set came down to the final two points. CC staved off one match point at 24-23 but then the Pipers got a kill to make it 25-24 and then an attack error gave the Pipers the set at 26-24.
Concordia got back to business in the fourth and never trailed. The final set was a 1-2 point affair until the Cobbers took control by going on a 10-4 run to turn an 8-7 nail-biter into an 18-11 cushion.
Concordia came out and hit above .200 in the first two sets. They then cooled off in the third at .113 and finished with a .137 mark in the fourth.
The Cobbers hit .176 for the match as opposed to .093 for Hamline. Concordia had 21 more kills in the four sets with a 59-38 margin.
Concordia had three players with double-digit kill totals. Junior Haley Cuppett led all players with 15 kills. Brianna Carney added 11 and Alicia Louters recorded a career-high 10 winners. Cuppett had 47 total attack chances and hit .149. Jill Klaphake and Lexi Turn combined for 49 assists. Klaphkae came away with 27 helpers while Turn collected 22.
Freshman Faith Anderson led the Cobber defense with a career-high 32 digs. Concordia had four other players with double-digit dig totals as the ball remained in play for long periods of time. Stephanie Baker had 16, Turn added 15, Cuppett recorded 14 and Friedrich earned 12.
DIG THAT: Concordia finished the match with a season-high 111 digs. The 111 digs is the most by a Cobber team since the 2013 season when CC had 11 digs against Puget Sound.
WHAT'S NEXT: Concordia will have a break from conference play when they host Minn.-Morris on Friday, Oct. 6 at 7 p.m. The Cougars are 18-5 on the year and 2-3 against MIAC opponents.
CONCORDIA vs. HAMLINE HIGHLIGHTS:
