The Cougar volleyball team went 0-2 on the final day of the USF Halloween Classic, held this weekend at the Stewart Center and Sioux Falls Christian High School.
USF falls to 11-26 overall.
In the first match, USF played one of its grittiest matches in the Joel McCartney era, rallying from a two set deficit against Lindenwood University, before falling 3-2 (14-25, 19-25, 25-23, 25-16, 15-17).
USF out-hit the Lions, .270 to .253 and held a 10-7 edge in total blocks. Both teams dug out 69 shots.
Freshman outside hitter Emily Johnson (Platte) played an efficient match as she hit .435 against the Lions, marking 25 kills on 46 attempts with only five attack errors. She also added 13 digs and four block assists in the match. Junior Chanda Goedken (Farley, Iowa) also recorded a double-double, tallying 11 kills and 14 digs.
Freshman Charlee Nelson (Mitchell) had a team-best 29 assists to go with five digs and three kills.
In its final match of the weekend, the Cougars ran out of gas and were swept by Minot State, 3-0 (25-14, 25-21, 25-21). The Cougars were buried by a potent Beaver offense that outhit the home team by a .324 to .151 margin.
Goedken and Johnson had nine kills apiece to lead the USF offense, while Nelson notched 18 of the Cougars' 30 set assists. Sarah Kohler (Sioux Falls) hit .571 in the match with four kills on seven attempts with no errors.
Sophomore libero Tashayla Person (Shawnee, Kan.) picked up 13 digs.
The Cougars head to Winona State on Tuesday and will close out the 2011 season in St. Charles, Mo., where they will take part in the Locos Grill Transition Tournament, hosted by Lindenwood University.
