HAMMOND, Ind. - The Malone University volleyball team lost their first two matches of the Midwest Region Crossover Tournament on Friday in straight sets. They fell to 5-12 with losses to Truman State University (7-12) and the University of Wisconsin-Parkside (11-6).
 
MALONE vs TRUMAN STATE RECAP:
Malone dropped the first set played by a score of 25-17 after the Bulldogs rattled off 17 kills and a .469 hitting percentage. The offenses balanced out from there as the Pioneers kept things close in sets two and three, but could not get over the hump to record a set win. Truman State took set two 25-22 and set three 26-24. Audra Brandenburg provided a spark in the middle in the final set to keep things close.
 
Despite the uneven score, the box score was similar in team stats on both sides. Malone finished with 40 kills, two more than the opponents in the loss. The two sides had equal blocks with five each and Truman State held a slight advantage on digs at 57-54.
 
Helaina Edgar had 25 assists to pace the offense. Laiken Wallick recorded a team-high ten kills in the match. Jaymes Gilbert (9) and Annika Nichols (8) were among the team leaders as well. Gilbert was the lone student-athlete with double-digit digs at 11.
 
MALONE vs WISCONSIN-PARKSIDE RECAP:
The Pioneers would go without a set win on Friday after a three-set loss to Wisconsin-Parkside as well. The Rangers went up 15-5 in set one and cruised to a 25-17 win early on. Malone battled back in set two, but suffered a 25-23 loss after the Pioneers claimed a lead at the start of the second. Set three was the most lopsided of the day at 25-12 in favor of Wisconsin-Parkside.
 
Malone was held to a .068 hitting percentage on the night while the Rangers swung at a clip of .301 in total. Wisconsin-Parkside dominated up front with a ten-block difference at 12-2. The Ranger defense also had slightly more digs at 34-27.
 
The trio of Nichols, Wallick and Brianne Salinas had seven kills apiece. Edgar had a team-high three aces and 12 assists. Jaclyn Jundzilo dug up nine opposing attacks to lead the squad.
 
UP NEXT:
The final match for Malone in the Midwest Region Crossover will come against McKendree University. First serve at the Hammond Sportsplex will be at 11:30 A.M. CST on Saturday, October 18.