Box Score SIOUX FALLS, SD - University of Mary senior Lauren Randall drove home 23 kills and freshman Natalia Cruz just missed a double double in a difficult four-set loss at the University of Sioux Falls (25-11, 23-25, 26-24, 25-18).
 
One of the leaders in kills in the Northern Sun, Randall took nearly half the attacks on the day for UMary and chipped in almost half the kills. The 23 kills is her four-best match total this year, sending her over 1,200 kills in her career. The outside hitter from Burnsville, MN, also had two aces and two block assists.
 
Cruz chipped in nine kills and a team-best 13 digs with a pair of aces. Her .261 attack percentage was best on the team for those with double digit attacks. Katelyn Olson added seven kills.
 
Senior Freddie Campbell was a defensive force in the middle of the net. In addition to six kills, she had two solo blocks and assisted on four others. Amanda Lopes added five assisted blocks and 43 of the squad's 47 assists.
 
Makenna Rockeman had 12 kills and 13 digs for Sioux Falls. Lexi Scott added ten kills and nine block assists. Abbey Feyereisen contributed six kills and one solo and seven assisted blocks.
 
The Cougars rolled to a lopsided win in the opening set, hitting a day's best .579 while the Marauders checked in at a -.208.
 
The Marauders regained their form in the second set. Nip and tuck throughout, the Marauders trailed 21-19 before calling time out. Back-to-back attack errors by Rockeman tied the game for UMary before she terminated a ball for a 22-21 USF lead. Randall, who rang up eight kills in the second set, knotted the contest at 22-22 and 23-23 before joining with Lopes to block Barfknecht to set up match point. With Lopes serving, an Olson kill from a feed from Cruz gave the Marauders the second set win and send the two teams into intermission deadlocked at 1-1.
 
UMary jumped out to a 15-10 lead in the third set before USF clawed its way back into the contest and eventually knot the set at 21-21. The Marauders staved off match point when Cruz and Madison Berghold blocked an attack by Scott and evened the match at 24-24. Scott followed with a kill to regain the momentum for USF, who finished off the set by blocking an Olson attack to surge forward 2-1.
 
Another competitive set in the fourth, the Marauders fought to pull within 19-18. The rest of the match belonged to the Cougars. Sioux Falls scored the last six points, three on blocks of Randall attacks.
 
The Marauders continue the start of their four-game road swing at Southwest Minnesota State University on Saturday.
 
#marauders#