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Volleyball finishes season ranked No. 1
BY KJESTINE STEINBRING | STATESMAN STAFF WRITER
Vicky Braegelmann, 12, smashes a spike over the net as Katie Gangelhoff, 1, looks
on during UMD’s win over the University of South Dakota to end the regular season.
The UMD volleyball team's perfect season in the North Central Conference (NCC) was capped off with a three game sweep of the University of South Dakota (USD) Saturday afternoon, making the Bulldogs' record 12-0 in the conference.
They also went undefeated at home
this season, always giving Duluth fans something to cheer about.
"We are very comfortable playing at home, and having the fans on your side is also a bonus," said senior Vicky Braegelmann.
The No. 1 ranked Bulldogs had a close game on their hands against the Coyotes, with South Dakota keeping the score close in the first right until the end. With a great ace serve by junior Katie Ganglehoff and a kill by junior Lindsay Clairmont, UMD was able to right the ship and win the first game with a score of 30-19.
"Our offense has been our biggest strength all year and it continued against USD," said Braegelmann.
In the second game, the Bulldogs
came out a little slow and quickly fell behind at 5-0. Braegelmann tried to push UMD through with a perfectly placed kill, but the Bulldogs' just couldn't catch a break.
A crucial ace serve by senior Kari Wolford made the score 29-24 in favor of the Bulldogs and gave the team enough momentum to set up a game-ending kill by senior Danielle Beckstrand. UMD would go on to win the second game 30-25.
"We carried momentum well," said sophomore Sarah Wyffles. UMD was on the right track from the beginning of game three, pulling ahead 7-2 right away and forcing South Dakota to call a time out to stop the Bulldogs momentum. Errors plagued both teams throughout this game, but with a momentum shifting block/kill by Clairmont and Braegelmann, UMD gained full control. Wyffles put the game away with a kill to make the final score of the third game 30-24.
"Saturday the offense did well, but this weekend we need to defend better and control our side of the net," said Braegelmann. Saturday afternoon was also Senior Recognition Day, giving strong Duluth players like Crystal Hoffrogge, Beckstrand, Wolford and Braegelmann a chance to celebrate their careers and achievements. One big achievement by Braegelmann this year was on Nov. 2 against Augustana when she surpassed former Bulldog Callie Zwettler for the career kills record.
"The seniors are a fundamental part of our team, they are great," said Wyffles. This win helped the team to clinch its fourth consecutive conference championship and guaranteed home court advantage throughout the regional tournament. UMD will host the North Central Regional starting on Thursday, Nov. 15 and ending on Saturday, Nov. 17 as part of the NCAA Division II volleyball tournament.
