Mriana Toscano led the floor with 13 kills against Northwest on Friday.
Concordia Opens Conference with Sweep over Northwest
PORTLAND, Ore.— Facing Northwest for the second time this season, Concordia defeated the Eagles 3-0 (25-18, 25-19, 25-20) in the team’s first encounter as a league match.
A well-rounded attack which featured five players with at least six kills, Concordia dispatched its Cascade Collegiate Conference foe in three sets to open the league season with a win.
With the result, CU advanced to 5-2 on the season while Northwest dropped to 3-5.
“Our ball handling allowed us to move the ball around well and that got everyone involved offensively and from there the hitters were very efficient with their swings to help us meet one of our primary goals for the night,” Concordia head coach Christopher Duenow said.
Mariana Toscano led the floor with 13 kills as the Cavaliers hit for a combined 26.7 percent rate. McKenzie Rath led the team with a 54.5 percent attack percentage with seven kills on 11 attempts.
“We really got stopped a lot at the net but our attacking coverage was wonderful which allowed us to extend rallies and give our hitters second chances,” Duenow said. “And defensively we were really effective with taking away primary aspects of their offense which translated into quality scoring opportunities in our transition game.”
Freshman Skyler Kamaka accumulated 39 assists and Northwest’s Lauren Holtz accounted for 13 digs for a match high. Holtz also led the Eagles with 10 kills.
Concordia returns to the court on Saturday when the Cavaliers host Evergreen State at 7 p.m.