NORTHFIELD, Minn. – The University of Dubuque women's volleyball team bounced back after two consecutive losses by defeating Macalester College 3-1 (25-16, 22-25, 25-20, 25-18) and Carleton College 3-0 (25-21, 25-17, 25-21). Taylor Bechen reached a career milestone of 1,000 digs in the contest against Macalester.

The Spartans kicked off the afternoon with a contest against Macalester. The Spartans and the Scots looked evenly matched through the first 24 points with the score knotted at 12 apiece. Three kills by Megan Cooley powered a Spartans run which secured a 25-16 set score to give them a 1-0 lead in the match. The Spartans led for most of the second set, but a five-point Scots run late gave them a lead they wouldn't relinquish. Despite the Spartans' best efforts, the Scots took the set 25-22. Macalesterr rode their momentum into the third set and secured a 13-10 lead thanks to a six-point run. The rest of the set was dominated by the Spartans, with kills by Delainey Winkel paving the way for a 25-20 victory to take a 2-1 lead. In the fourth set, the Spartans took an early lead and held the Scots at bay for a 25-18 victory to clinch the 3-1 match.

The Spartans handled the Knights in the first set despite trailing by four points early. Powered by kills from Winkel and Halee Clare, the Spartans took control of the set en route to a 25-21 victory. The Knights took another early lead before a seven-point run gave the Spartans a lead they wouldn't relinquish and securing a 25-17 second set victory. The Spartans cruised to a 25-21 victory in the third set and secured the 3-0 sweep.

The Spartans' offense was unstoppable against the Scots, with Winkel, Ashley Glennon, and Cooley all contributing double-digit kills and the Spartans finishing with a .252 hitting percentage. Cooley tallied a career-high 11 kills and added two block assists to go along with a .435 hitting percentage. Winkel led the Spartans with 17 kills to lead the Spartans and contributed 11 digs on defense. Glennon added 12 kills to her season total in the match. Alexis Kammerer set-up the offensive explosion by tallying a season-high 30 assists in the match. Ashlyn McGinnis added 15 assists of her own.

The Spartans' defense was also on point, stifling the Scots at the net in addition to seeing Bechen's milestone in the backcourt. Bechen, who reached 1,000 digs in the contest, led the Spartans with 17 digs. Payton Uptagraft was a nightmare for the Scots at the net as she led the Spartans with six block assists. Clare and Caitlin Jensen gave the Scots' hitters fits all afternoon, with each adding four block assists.

Winkel and Glennon led the Spartans with ten and nine kills against Carleton. Uptagraft added eight kills of her own along with three block assists for a .545 hitting percentage. Cooley finished with seven kills and Clare tacked on three block assists in the rout. Bechen led the Spartans with 12 digs in the match. Kammerer and McGinnis ended the match with 17 and 15 assists, respectively.

Up Next

The Spartans conclude their quartet of weekend tournaments with a 14-2 record and will begin A-R-C play this Wednesday at 6:00 p.m. against (RV) Coe College. The Kohawks (9-3 overall) were picked to finish first in the A-R-C by the preseason coaches' poll.