GRINNELL, Iowa - On Friday night, the University of Dubuque women's volleyball team dipped back into non-conference as they traveled to Grinnell College home of the Pioneers. Quickly the Spartans asserted their dominance taking the first two sets but proceeded to drop the next sets, forcing a game deciding fifth set. The Spartans won the fifth set 18-16 securing their 18th win of the season.

In the opening set, the Spartans had contributions from all of their starters tallying 16 kills grabbing a 25-18 set win. Emma Powell led the charge with five kills, followed by Alexis Bedier with four, and three each from Ashlee Adler and Payton Uptagraft. Set two featured a 25-14 win as the Spartans offense was firing on all cylinders. Eight different players recorded at least one kill for a total of 16 kills on 35 attempts for an attacking percentage of 40%. 

The Spartans were looking to close out the Pioneers, but the hosts responded capturing two hard fought sets forcing a winner take all in the fifth set. Right away the Spartans jumped out to a 7-4 lead with kills from Uptagraft, Powell, and Adler. The Pioneers stormed back taking the lead at 12-11. All knotted at 15-15, Uptagraft notched her fifth kill of the set giving the Spartans a one point advantage. As Katie Wright served match point, the hosts executed offensively tying the game at 16-16. After a setting error by the Pioneers gave the Spartans a 17-16 lead, Powell put the finishing touches on the match with a game winning kill 18-16.

On the night, the nation's NCAA Division III 9th overall leader in kills, Emma Powell added 18 more kills to her repertoire. Uptagraft continued to shine recording 16 kills on 25 attempts posting an extravagant attacking percentage of 64%. Bedier finished the match one shy of double digit kills with nine. Setters Ashlyn McGinnis and Alexis Kammerer shared the workload with 25 and 24 assists. Defensively, Wright and Powell led the team with 21 digs while Adler followed with 19.

Up Next
The Spartans will face one more non-conference opponent this season on Tuesday, October 24 as travel to Augustana College before closing the season with three remaining conference games. As the conference standings sit, the Spartans are 5-0 tied for first place along with Nebraska Wesleyan who the Spartans will take on at home on Friday, October 27 in a battle to stand a top of the conference.