DETROIT, Mich. – The Peacock volleyball team (0-4) dropped its final two matches of the Wayne State Invitational on Saturday. The team lost, 3-1, in both matches against Winona State (Minn.) (2-2) and Northwood (Mich.) (1-2).
Grace Fruzen led the team on the day with 44 assists and three service aces. Martha Pace had 18 kills and 13 digs, while Erica Conger finished with 14 kills, five digs and three blocks. Jaeden Cook totaled 31 assists, Lydia Imbrogno had 22 digs and three service aces. Kailey Porter finished strong on the defensive side with five blocks while adding 17 kills.
Upper Iowa 1 Winona State 3
Several kills by Pace, Jonker and Porter gave the Peacocks the early lead in the set, 11-6. Winona State responded with a plethora of kills and service aces to knot the score at 15-15. WSU took the lead and held on to it, until a momentum changing kill by Pace tied the score again at 20-20. Upper Iowa and Winona State battled back-and-forth with the Peacocks ultimately winning, 26-24.
The Warriors took command in the second set for an 8-3 lead. Upper Iowa fought back, but the set ended in favor of the Warriors, 25-18.
Winona State took an early 7-2 lead via four fills, two Peacock attack errors and an ace. That lead was extended to 20-12, then Upper Iowa went on a 5-0 aided by back-to-back Pace aces. UIU cut the lead to 23-22 after a Winona attack error, but back-to-back kills by the Warriors ended the set.
The fourth set was controlled early by the Warriors. They jumped out to an 11-3 early lead. Back-to-back kills by Becker closed a 5-0 run to cut the lead to 11-9. The Warriors then outscored the Peacocks 14-10 the rest of the set to close the game.
On the offensive side, Pace led the way with 11 kills and two service aces. Moses had eight kills and a .533 attack percentage. Conger (seven), Porter (six) and Becker (five) also contributed with kills. Fruzen had 23 assists and Cook had 15.
Defensively, Block had 21 digs, Imbrogno had 12 digs and Pace had nine digs. Porter had five blocks and Conger had three blocks.
Upper Iowa 1 Northwood 3
The Peacocks took an early 3-0 lead in the first set with two service aces by Imbrogno and a kill by Pace. UIU kept control, until the Timberwolves used a 5-0 run to take an 8-6 lead. NU used a 4-0 run and an 8-0 run to lead 22-11. A kill by Dani Pohl ended the set, 25-14.
Northwood led 6-5 early in the second set. Then the Peacocks used an 11-0 run to take a 16-6 lead, with Marissa Becker notching four kills during the run. The Timberwolves closed the gap down to 24-23, but UIU was held onto the lead with one last Becker kill to win the set, 25-23.
Northwood dominated the beginning of the third set, taking a 5-0 lead. The Peacocks battle back throughout the set, cutting the NU lead to 20-19. Three Peacock attack errors and two kills by the Timberwolves sealed the win for Northwood, 25-19.
Upper Iowa started strong with a 6-4 lead in the fourth set. The Timberwolves then outscored the Peacocks, 9-2. With a 22-19 lead late, back-to-back attack errors and a kill by Mackenzie Scheid sealed the win, 25-19.
Becker led the Peacocks with 12 kills. Porter added 11 and Jonker tallied nine. Fruzen totaled 21 assists with Cook adding 16. Jonker led the team in digs with 17.
UP NEXT
Upper Iowa will play next in the Mankato Invite in Mankato, Minnesota on Sept. 12-13. The team starts on Friday at 12:30 p.m. against Minnesota Crookston (4-0) followed by Chardon State (Neb.) (1-3) at 5 p.m.
