Falcons Fall to Eagles in NACC Semifinals

MEQUON, Wis. - The 2023 CUW women's volleyball season came to a close on Thursday night, as the Falcons dropped to the Edgewood Eagles in the NACC Tournament Semifinals. The three-set match featured extremely competitive rallies and numerous momentum swings, but ultimately, it was Edgewood who snatched all three frames.

The first set saw the Eagles hold the lead for nearly its entire duration. However, Concordia went on a 7-3 run late in the frame, drawing even at 21. Sophomore Stella Zarling (West Bend, Wis.) spearheaded the effort, tallying an ace and a kill for the Falcons. Immediately after that, Edgewood would take the set's remaining four points and took the first frame by a 25-21 margin.

The second set was played to a similar tune on the scoreboard, as after four early lead changes, Edgewood gained a steady lead, pulling ahead by as many as four points. Yet again, the Falcons went on a late run to knot the score, as sophomore Jaydin Vosters (Neenah, Wis.) recorded four consecutive kills to catch up with the Eagles at 20. Fellow sophomore Mickenzi Benter (De Pere, Wis.) would pick up assists on three of the four kills, contributing to her match-leading 33 and pushing her season total to 12 matches with 30 or more assists.

After the run by Vosters, the Eagles would go on a streak of unanswered points to end the set once again, taking the final five rallies to secure a 25-20 victory.

The third set featured an entirely different unfolding, as the two squads exchanged the lead six times while drawing even on 14 occasions. It was Concordia that would emerge from the battle with a late lead, as the 20-15 score granted the Falcons their largest advantage of the game. Just as quickly, the Eagles began trading two points for one before evening the score at 23. As Edgewood's momentum pushed it to the brink of victory, Concordia fought back with equal intensity. The Falcons survived match point and pulled ahead on the next rally, but ultimately, the Eagles emerged victorious in the set, picking up the final three points en route to a 27-25 victory.

On the stat sheet, senior Maycee Karpfinger (Wauwatosa, Wis.) led the match with 12 points, while sophomore Abby Proefrock's (Grafton, Wis.) 18 digs and Vosters' 11 kills also led both teams.

The Falcons finished the 2023 campaign with a 15-14 overall record.