VALPARAISO, Ind. – The Drake University volleyball team finished the second game of a back-to-back road trip on Saturday evening. The Bulldogs battled league-leading Valpo to their second-straight five set match before falling for their first MVC loss of the year (25-21, 26-28, 20-25, 25-15, 15-17).
 
Drake opened the match with a 25-21 win in the first set. The advantage never grew larger five points for either team throughout the stanza. Eventually, Drake rattled off three-straight points with a kill from Ashlynn Kuhn to secure the opening-set win.
 
The intensity was amped up in the second set. Both teams continued to trade haymakers, even into extra points. The Bulldogs looked to take control early with a 4-0 run to take a 5-2 lead in the period. Valpo came storming back as each squad staved off a set loss until a Mariana Rodrigues attack error ended the frame.
 
The host Beacons jumped out to an early 3-0 lead in the third set. Despite a resilient Drake team, Valpo maintained control through the middle and late stages of the set and eventually earned a 25-20 win to take a 2-1 match lead.
 
Drake fought back in the fourth set with a decisive victory to tie the match. The Bulldogs led by an early 12-3 score and did not look back. The Dogs held a lead as large as 11 points in the frame before securing a 25-15 win.
 
Valparaiso worked their way to a 5-2 lead in the fifth and final set. Despite the Bulldogs' best effort, and a furious comeback in the later stages, Valparaiso secured the five-set victory.
 
Taylor Oberpriller and Haley Bush led the Bulldogs with a combined 45 combined kills. Addison Beagle recorded 67 assists: a new career high. Kacie Rewerts also logged a new season-high with nine blocks.

"I'm proud of our team tonight," Drake head coach Darrin McBroom said. "Valparaiso is a really good team and we were in it until the very end. That's what we're asking from our team, to put us in position to achieve great things and they did that tonight."
 
Drake volleyball will finish their road swing to start conference play next weekend with trips to Southern Illinois on Friday, Sept. 30 and Missouri State on Saturday, Oct. 1.
 
 
NOTES
·      Valpo entered the match with a 12-1 record after dropping their conference opener on Friday night to UNI.
·      Saturday's second set was the first extra-point frame since Drake's win over Wright State at the Cardinal & Gold Classic (9/9)
·      Taylor Oberpriller notched a season-high 23 kills and five assists.
·      Addison Beagle recorded a career-high 67 assists.