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Box Score 2 GRAND FORKS, Neb. – The Drake University volleyball team won its morning match over Jacksonville State, 3-0, but fell to South Dakota in the evening match, 3-1, to close out the two-day UND Classic.
Drake (7-5) defeated JSU by scores of 25-15, 25-22, 25-23, before falling to USD, 25-20-, 23-25, 25-17, 25-20.
“We really struggled in our serving and passing game this weekend and if you don't control those two areas, you're going to struggle,” head coach Darrin McBroom said. “That was the case for us most of the weekend. We struggled to pass well and be consistent in passing. We need to get back in the gym and work on that.”
Freshman Grace Schofield (Mundelein, Ill.) led the Bulldogs in her finest games of the season by recording 33 kills on the day including 18 in the four-set loss to USD. Makena Schoene (Seattle, Wash.) added 23 kills to earn a spot on the UND Classic all-tournament team for her second all-tournament honor in as many weeks.
“Makena Schoene had a great weekend and Grace got a start and put up some great numbers offensively to have a really strong weekend,” McBroom said. “Rachel Goettl (Rice Lake, Wis.) also had an outstanding day today and we're proud of those two young players and how they contributed today.”
The Bulldogs hit .287 in the opening match against JSU, including a .429 average in the first set to cruise to a 25-15 win thanks to a 10-5 run to close match. The Bulldogs never trailed in the second set and outscored JSU, 4-1, to close out the match with two kills from Schoene. The third set was closely contested as JSU tied the match at 20-20 and then tied the match three more times until Schofield closed the match with a kill and an ace to give the Bulldogs the win.
After dropping the first set to South Dakota, 25-20, the Bulldogs responded to take the second set to even the match, behind two errors forced by Goettl's serving. However, in the third set, USD used an 8-2 spur to take control of the set. The pivotal fourth set saw the Bulldogs fall behind, 6-0, before rallying behind a 10-2 run to take a 10-8 lead as Katie Dulek's (Lenexa, Kan.) serving again gave the Bulldogs a boost. The set remained close until USD scored six of the final seven points of the set to prevail, 25-20, and win the match.
Today's final match was the Bulldogs' 12th straight road/neutral match to open the season. On Tuesday, Sept. 15, they will play their first home match of the season when they host Western Illinois at 6 p.m. in the Knapp Center.
