Box Score Box Score

The University of Minnesota Duluth earned a bit of revenge for being knocked from the top of the national rankings earlier this season by Concordia University, St. Paul as the No. 3 Bulldogs took down the No. 1 Golden Bears 3-2 at Romano Gym on Saturday afternoon.

Junior libero Julie Rainey earned the all-time Bulldog career digs record as UMD (28-2, 18-2 NSIC) and Concordia (27-1, 19-1 NSIC) battled back-and-forth in the five-set affair before the 1,841 fans at Romano Gym.

The first game saw 10 ties and just one moment where either team led by at least four (by Concordia). Knotted up at 23, the Bulldogs secured the final two points to escape with a 25-23 set win. UMD took the early lead in the second set, expanding it to a match-high six at 16-10. The Bears pulled within 20-18, but UMD scored the final five points to win the second set 25-18.

The Bulldogs took an early 5-2 lead in the third set, but Concordia returned the favor, eventually taking a three-point lead of their own at 12-9. The Bulldogs would score six of the next eight points to regain the lead at 15-14. The teams tied at 19-all before CU scored four in a row en route  to a 25-21 third set win. The fourth set saw the two teams trade points in the early going, but the Bears took an 18-15 lead before UMD rallied to take the 22-21 lead. Concordia scored the last four points to knot it up at two sets apiece.

The two teams traded points to six, but the Bulldogs scored the next five to take an 11-6 lead and held on to win the decisive fifth set 15-11.

Rainey needed 23 digs to tie to the UMD career mark held by Cheryl Carlson ('91), and she made 30 saves and set the new mark at 1,710. The Bulldogs combined for six total blocks, led by sophomore setter Ashley Hinsch's four block assists. Hinsch added five kills and 61 assists.

Senior outside hitter Kate Lange blasted 31 kills for UMD and now sits just 28 away from 2,000 for her career. Lange and junior outside hitter Katie Ledwell each added 13 digs. The Bulldogs' pair of middle blockers, freshman Sydnie Mauch and sophomore Monica Turner each hit double-digit kills, collecting 13 and 11, respectively.

Wrapping up the second seed in the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference this weekend, UMD will host a quarterfinal match at Romano Gym on Wednesday at 7:00 p.m.