Seniors
Paige Decker and
Madeline Guetzkow combined for 32 kills to lead the University of Minnesota Duluth (2-0, 0-0 NSIC) volleyball team to a 3-0 (25-21, 25-18, 25-23) sweep of Cal State East Bay (0-2, 0-0 CCAA) Friday morning at Vandament Arena in Marquette, Mich., as part of the UP North Tournament.
Decker hit .692 with 19 kills, while Guetzkow posted her second consecutive double-double with 13 kills on .407 hitting and a match-high 16 digs. Junior
Ava Jones added 39 assists, eight digs, two service aces and two blocks.
The Bulldogs outhit the Pioneers, .235 to .178, and held advantages in kills (45-31), assists (44-30) and digs (57-44). Both teams recorded five total blocks.
UMD trailed by as many as five points early in the first set, 10-5, but a 3-0 run fueled by three Cal State East Bay errors brought the Bulldogs within two, 10-8. A 5-0 run behind the serving of Guetzkow then gave UMD its first lead of the set, 14-13. Back-to-back kills from Decker extended the Bulldogs' advantage to three, while a
Madison Reed service ace later pushed the lead to four, 19-15. The Pioneers would get no closer than three points the rest of the way before Guetzkow closed out the set with her fourth kill of the frame.
Decker hit .750 with six kills to lead the Bulldogs' offense in the opening set, while
Brietta Tims, Jones and
Elyse Karrels each recorded a solo block.
The Bulldogs hit .308 with 17 kills to cruise to a 25-18 victory in the second set, led by seven kills from Decker and five from Guetzkow.
Grace Mueller added three kills and a block assist. After UMD took a 14-13 lead on a Guetzkow kill, the Bulldogs never relinquished the advantage. A 3-0 run, capped by kills and block assists from
Kenzie Kiminski and Mueller, closed out the set.
The Maroon and Gold saved its best offensive performance for the third set, hitting .355 while jumping ahead early and never trailing. Cal State East Bay managed to tie the set four times, including at 23-23, but two-consecutive kills from Decker fittingly sealed the set and the match for the Bulldogs.
UMD has little time to rest, as the Bulldogs return to action Friday evening against tournament host Northern Michigan. First serve is set for 6 p.m. at Vandament Arena.
