Box Score The University of Minnesota Duluth opened up the fall sports season with a victory as the Bulldog volleyball team downed Northern Michigan University in straight sets in Marquette, Michigan on Thursday evening to open the Keweenaw Classic.

The third-ranked UMD squad (1-0) spread the ball around on offense and defense to take down the Wildcats (0-1) by scores of 25-16, 25-12, and 25-15. NMU received votes but finished on the outside of the initial American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) Top 25 poll released this preseason.

QUICK HITS
 • Junior setter Ashley Hinsch spread the ball around, with six Bulldogs earning kills on the evening, led by senior outside hitter Katie Ledwell and senior rightside hitter Maddy Siroin, with 12 each. Hinsch would finish with 34 assists in three sets.
 • Senior libero Julie Rainey led the way with 17 digs, but she had help along the way as eight UMD players had at least one dig. Sophomore defensive specialist Teal Tomaszewski put together a career night with eight digs herself, while Hinsch and junior defender Sheenagh Caroline each had seven.
 • Junior middle blocker Monica Turner started the season with a dominant performance at the net, teaming up for seven block assists. Siroin added five blocks of her own.
 • Freshman defensive specialist Kelly Madison saw the first play of her career, collecting a pair of service aces and one dig.

RECAP
In the first set, UMD scored the first point when sophomore middle blocker Sydnie Mauch dropped in the first Bulldog score of the season, but NMU held tough, knotting the score at 4-all and 7-all before UMD went on a seven-point run fueled by three-straight kills by Maddy Siroin. The Wildcats never cut the Bulldogs' lead beyond that as they cruised to a 25-16 victory.

Hinsch took the serve to open the second game, and ran UMD to a 5-0 lead, fueld by two kills by junior outside hitter Mariah Scharf, who finished with six on the night. A Northern Michigan timeout did not stop the run, as the Bulldogs scored once more before the Wildcats' Madison Whitehead broke the streak. Whitehead tied with Alex Larsen for the team lead with five kills on the night while also knocking down three blocks. UMD never allowed a tie score in the second set, cruising to a 25-12 win.

The third game started out hot, with six tie scores and four lead changes, the only ones of the night. Deadlocked at 11-all, the Bulldogs once again hit a run fueled by Hinsch to make it 15-11. After just one score by Northern Michigan, freshman Kelly Madison took the serve giving UMD a 21-12 lead with five Wildcat attack errors along the way. Katie Ledwell dropped in a pair of kills down the stretch as the Bulldogs closed out the set 25-15.

Northern setter Anna Ayock had 20 assists on the night. Libero Alex Berger had 12 digs. The Wildcats attacked at a negative rate on the night with 22 attack errors, while UMD was an efficient .260.

UP NEXT
The Bulldogs continue action at the Keweenaw Classic tomorrow afternoon when they take on the Rangers of the University of Wisconsin-Parkside. That match is set to begin at 5:30 p.m. EST.