WAVERLY, Iowa - The #21 Coe College Volleyball put up a incredible battle but fell just short in a top-25 matchup on Tuesday evening, falling 3-2 to #5 Northwestern (MN). The Kohawks jumped ahead early in the match, claiming a 25-22 victory in the opening period but the Eagles answered back with two-straight victories. Coe hung tough and fought back from a four-point deficit late in the fourth period, finishing the set with eight of the final 10 points to force a decider. Northwestern took the lead quickly in the race to 15, jumping ahead 9-5. The Kohawks clawed their way back to within two points of the lead but the Eagles secured the victory with a match-winning kill. The loss drops Coe to 18-5 overall while Northwestern (MN) improves to 23-2.
GAME FACTS:
#5 Northwestern (MN) 3 - #21 Coe 2
- Coe was on fire to start the match, grabbing a quick 6-2 lead in the opener while forcing a timeout. The lead continued to grow after the break with the Kohawks stretching the advantage to 14-7. The Eagles finally made a run midway through the set, scoring five-straight points to pull within two points of the lead. Coe settled back into the frame and hung on for a 25-22 victory, hitting .311 as a team in the opener.
- The Eagles answered in the second period, earning a 25-20 victory. Northwestern hit a staggering .295 in the set, recording 18 kills while holding Coe to just 11 kills and .171 hitting. The opponents took an early 12-6 lead in the frame and caused the Kohawks to call time. The break worked for Coe, closing the gap to four points at 17-13. The Eagles regained momentum following their own timeout, trading points with the Kohawks en route to the 20-25 set win.
- Northwestern dominated the third period, holding Coe to just .087 attacking while forcing the Kohawks into six errors. The Eagles took an early lead at 10-6 and later extended the advantage to 16-9. Coe did its best to make a run in the set but Northwestern hung tough and secured a 25-17 victory to make it 2-1.
- The Kohawks and Eagles traded points to open the fourth period but Northwestern scored three-straight points to grab a 14-11 lead. Coe called timeout and immediately cut into the lead, scoring three-straight to make it 17-15. Northwestern called a break in the action to stop the run and pushed the lead back to three points at 20-17. The Kohawks then ended the set on an 8-2 run, ending with four-straight points to claim a 25-23 victory.
- Both teams were efficient on offense in the final period with Northwestern and Coe hitting .233 and .250 respectively. The Eagles scored three-straight to open the set but the Kohawks answered with a three-point run of their own. Northwestern used a small run in the middle of the set to gain momentum, taking an 11-7 lead and forcing Coe into a timeout. The Kohawks continued to battle over the final few points of the match but the Eagles hung on and claimed a 15-12 win in the decider.
Up next: The Kohawks are back in action this weekend for a pair of A-R-C matches, hosting Nebraska Wesleyan and Buena Vista on Friday and Saturday at Kohawk Arena.
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