ST. PAUL, MINN. - The University of Mary Volleyball team traveled to St. Paul, Minn., tonight to take on #3 Concordia University, St. Paul, and the Marauders fought hard but couldn't find an answer for the Golden Bears as U-Mary was swept in straight sets.
 
Concordia-St. Paul jumped out front early in the first set, owning a 6-1 lead and methodically extended their advantage to 10-3, then 20-7. The Marauders did what they could but the Golden Bears would not stop and closed out the first set 25-11.
 
Set two was a different beast for U-Mary, as they kept pace with the Golden Bears and fought back from an early 7-4 deficit to narrow the gap 7-6 in favor of Concordia-St. Paul. Unfortunately, the Golden Bears demonstrated why they are one of the top teams in the nation and fired off a 13-1 run featuring seven kills, three aces and three Marauder errors, to a commanding 20-7 lead. U-Mary struggled to get back into it and dropped the second set 25-11.
 
Concordia-St. Paul carried their momentum into the third set and opened up an early 10-1 lead off seven kills, a team block, one ace and a Marauder error. The Marauders had a brief respite from the Golden Bears at 11-3, but Concordia-St. Paul was not done as they rallied off another big 7-1 run off three kills, an ace, a team block and two Marauder errors to extend their advantage at 18-4. U-Mary matched the Golden Bears' pace from there but it wasn't enough as Concordia-St. Paul took set three, and the match, 25-11.
 
Lauren Randall did what she could on the offensive end with six kills, 19 attacks and one dig. Kelsey Boyd was active on all ends as she finished with five kills, 25 attacks, five digs and one block assist. Janell Finkbeiner was the primary driver for the offense as she earned 11 assists, seven digs, one ace and a block assist.
 
The Marauders got the entire team involved on the back line as four players finished with at least five digs, including Finkbeiner, Boyd, Alex Brown, and Casey Reamann.
 
The Marauders (4-23, 1-17 NSIC) will host their last two home matches of the conference schedule starting Friday, Nov. 7, when they host Winona State University in the first of two revenge matches for U-Mary.

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