Depth Deals Double Loss To Morris

MOORHEAD, Minn. (10/03/16)—Concordia had four players with at least 10 kills and four players with at least 10 digs as they beat Minn.-Morris for the second time in the last two weeks.  

Concordia made sure that they wouldn't need to go to five sets against Minn.-Morris for the second time in less than two weeks as they won the final three points of the fourth set to beat the Cougars 3-1 (25-21, 30-28, 23-25, 25-22).

The win is the fourth in the last five matches for Concordia who ups its overall record to 7-9 on the year. CC has now posted victories against Morris in 11 straight matches in a streak that dates back to 1993.

Morris has their two-match win streak come to an end and is now 7-10.

The usual culprits stepped up to the net for the Cobbers. Concordia had four players with double-digit kill totals. Haley Cuppett, Emily Friedrich, Brianna Carney and Emma Chandler combined for 60 of the team's 61 kills in the match.

Cuppett had a team-high 17 kills and hit .229. She has now recorded at least 11 winners in three of the past five matches. Cuppett is second on the team in kills this season and when asked about her recent success at the net she responded by saying, "Just going out and playing and not overthinking it has helped a lot."

Friedrich was one kill off of Cuppett's pace, finishing with 16 winners. Like Cuppett, she has at least 11 kills in three of the past five matches. Friedrich hit .333 and leads the team in kills with 173.    

Carney has been red-hot at home this season. She had 14 kills and posted a match-best .400 attack percentage. She also recorded a career-high six blocks in the four-set match. Carney is third on the team in kills with 147 and joins Cuppett and Friedrich with at least 11 kills in three of the past five matches. Carney is now hitting an impressive .336 in her five home matches this year.

Chandler had a career-high 13 kills. It is the first double-digit kill total of her collegiate career. She hit .219 and added a career-high four blocks.

Concordia hit .241 for the match while the Cougars had a .201 attack percentage. Both teams had 61 winners on the night.

One of the keys to the recent success for Concordia has been the play of senior Jena Klpahake who has stepped into the role of the team's lone setter. She put up a career-high 55 assists and now has 505 on the season.

Klpahake was also one of four Cobber players with at least 12 digs. Stephanie Baker had a team-high 18 digs while Klaphake and fellow senior Mandy Mercil added 14 each and freshman Betsy Asp recorded 12 digs.

HALEY CUPPETT POSTMATCH INTERVIEW