Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 KEARNEY, NE – Despite big performances by Gabby Caskey, Maddie Cooper and Robi Binagi for the University of Mary volleyball team in the day one finale at the UNK Fall Classic, the Marauders fell just short in hopes of picking up a win in a pair of non-conference matches.
 
#6 University of Nebraska Kearney 3 (25-15-25-14-25-7) UMary 0
The Marauders opened the 2024 Rosella Meier UNK Fall Classic with an incredibly tall task as UMary faced host team University of Nebraska Kearney, the 6^th ranked team in in the nation.
 
UMary scored the first two points of the match and claimed an 8-7 lead on a kill by Gabby Caskey. UNK soon gained the lead but couldn't shake loose from the visitors as the Marauders closed with 12-14 on a Maddie Cooper kill and a misplay by the Lopers. However once UNK got on a roll the Marauders were unable to answer.
 
Charli Blackman led the Marauders with five kills. Kaia Sueker had 16 digs. Asha Reiger led UNK with 11 kills.
 
Chadron State University 3 (25-27, 26-24, 25-16, 25-14) UMary 1
The Marauders opened their second match with a wild 27-25 win in set one but couldn't overcome a tough loss in extra points in set two in a non-conference loss to Chadron State College.
 
UMary grabbed a 24-21 lead in the opening set on a Cooper kill but CSC reeled off four straight points to move in front 25-24 and the chance to serve for the win. A block by Cooper and McKenna Kirkpatrick tied the score. A Blackman kill gave UMary a 26-25 lead before an attack error by Chadron State provided UMary the set one win.
 
Set two also went to extra points. Down 24-23, a Caskey termination allowed UMary to pull even. Two straight points by the Eagles gave CSC the 26-24 win and put them on the course to claim the next two sets and the match win.
 
Caskey, Cooper and Robi Binagi all had big games for UMary.
 
Caskey finished with 12 kills and hit .303 in the match, making just two attack errors. Cooper also had 12 kills and added two block assists. Binagi hit a team-high .444, putting down 10 kills with just two errors.
 
Sueker had another big match with 19 digs. Kirkpatrick added four block assists as UMary held a 5-4 edge in blocks.
 
Alejandro Briseno led all players with 18 kills for Chadron State (1-5 overall).
 
The Marauders (1-5 overall) wrap up the UNK Fall Classic with matches against Missouri Southern and Oklahoma Christian University on Saturday, September 14.
 
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