MANKATO, Minn. - The Peacock volleyball team (0-6) lost on Friday to Minnesota Crookston (5-0) and Chadron State (2-4). Sophomore Morgan Block totaled 39 digs (5.57 per set) with a career-high 21 against Minnesota Crookston. 

Martha Pace led the team in attacking with 22 kills (3.14 per set). She also added 24 digs. Kailey Porter totaled 16 kills, Carley Jonker had 12 and Erica Conger had 10. 

Grace Fruzen was the top setter for Upper Iowa with 49 assists. She also had the second-most digs on the team with 29. Jaeden Cook added 15 assists and 10 digs.

The Peacocks wrap up the Mankato Invite on Saturday, starting at 2 p.m. against No. 22 Northern State (S.D.) (6-0). Upper Iowa then plays Minnesota State (6-0) at 6 p.m. 

Minnesota Crookston 3, Upper Iowa 1
The Peacocks started the match hot, taking an early 7-3 lead off of five early kills and two Golden Eagle attack errors. Minnesota Crookston answered with a 6-0 run to gain control of the set. The Golden Eagles won the set, 25-21, despite the Peacocks outkilling UMC 13-10 and having a better hitting percentage of .146 compared to UMC's .061.

The second set was the most competitive of the match, with 10 ties and four lead changes. Upper Iowa trailed 21-18, but a kill by Pace, an ace by Porter and a UMC attack error tied the set. The Golden Eagles didn't panic, getting three kills, two by Carizma Muth, and an attack error to close the set, 25-23. 

The third set was the best for UIU all day as they never trailed and won it, 25-15. The Peacocks outscored Crookston 7-1 to end the set, started by back-to-back kills by Jonker. Both teams had 10 kills, but the Peacocks had four attack errors while Crookston had nine.

Leading 12-9 in the fourth set, Crookston put the match away. The Golden Eagles scored eight of the next nine points, aided by three kills from junior Emma Malek. UMC scored via kills on four of its last five points to win, 25-17. 

Pace led the Peacocks in kills with 12, while Jonker had eight and Porter added seven. Alexis Moses led the game in blocks with five total. Fruzen tallied 26 assists with 18 digs. Block totaled a career-high 21 digs to lead the team. 

Muth totaled 15 kills and Madison Carsten tallied 14 to lead the Golden Eagles. Dana Melby tallied 33 assists while Kailee Waasdorp totaled 31 digs. 

UIU hit .140 while UMC hit .136, but the Golden Eagles outkilled Upper Iowa, 55-41. Crookston had 90 digs while the Peacocks had 89. Upper Iowa unblocked Minnesota Crookston, 9-4.

Chadron State 3, Upper Iowa 0
Chadron State's Mataya Ward totaled 17 kills to help down the Peacocks in three sets. The Eagles outhit UIU .220-.117 to pick up the win in three competitive sets of 25-22, 25-21 and 25-22. 

The first two sets were each knotted at 19-19 down the stretch. The Eagles scored four straight points off of kills in the first set and three straight points in the second set to help win both. 

Trailing 23-19 in the third set, the Peacocks made one final push. A kill by Conger, an error by the Eagles and an ace by Madi Hartman cut the lead to 23-22. A Chadron State timeout and a Ward kill ended the push to help CSU win the set, 25-22. 

Pace totaled 10 kills with Porter adding nine. Fruzen tallied 23 assists and 11 digs. Block led the team in digs once again with 18. 

Jillian Donovan had 36 assists for the Eagles and Avery Lacy led the game in digs with 20. Bella Adams and Kally Kirkwood added eight kills each. Chadron outkilled UIU, 48-37, while leading in aces, 5-2, and blocks, 7-3.