By: CJ Siewert

ST. PAUL, Minn. – In a battle of national powerhouses, the second-ranked Concordia University volleyball team blanked No. 5 Minnesota Duluth 3-0 (28-26, 25-19, 25-16) Tuesday night in a non-league match. The Golden Bears continue their hot streak having won 13 consecutive matches this season and 15 in a row at the Gangelhoff Center – all in straight sets. CU improves to 23-3 overall, while the Bulldogs fall to 25-3.

Kayla Koenecke (Delano, Minn.) and Cassie Haag (Plymouth, Minn.) were the sources of power for the Concordia attack. Koenecke went 15-for-25 on the attack with two errors for a .520 attack percentage, while Haag posted 13 kills on 20 attempts and two errors for a .550 rate. Ellie Duffy (Fridley, Minn.) also recorded double digit kills with 10.

Ashley Murtha (Apple Valley, Minn.) collected a team-high 13 digs, while Amanda Konetchy (Victoria, Minn.) posted her sixth double-double of the season. The junior setter notched 45 assists and 11 digs.

The intensity of the match started right from the get-go with 14 scoring ties and five lead changes in the first set. After a 4-4 tie, Concordia pulled away for a 10-5 lead, but UMD fired right back with a 9-to-4 run to tie the set at 14-14. The Bears held on to a slim advantage until the Bulldogs eventually took the lead 22-21. Minnesota Duluth held set-point twice before Concordia rallied for three straight points to end the set 28-26.

In the second frame, Concordia maintained its lead after a 4-0 start. UMD closed the gap to one point twice early on, but the Bears strung together a few scoring runs en route to a 25-19 decision.

Minnesota Duluth’s only leads in the third set came in the first three points (1-0, 2-1) before the Navy and Gold took over. CU then went on a 10-to-4 run and didn’t allow the Bulldogs to come within three points the rest of the way for a 25-16 win.

Kate Lange led the Bulldogs with 14 kills on 41 attempts (five errors) for a .220 attack percentage. Ashley Hinsch served up 27 assists and 11 digs for a double-double, while Julie Rainey matched Hinsch’s digs with 11.

Concordia returns to NSIC action Friday at Sioux Falls (14-14, 5-13 NSIC). First serve is scheduled for 7:00 p.m. The Bears defeated the Cougars 3-0 on September 15 this season.