Dubuque, Iowa – The Central Methodist University volleyball team played in a pair of matches on Friday evening in Dubuque, Iowa. CMU first faced Clarke University in a Heart of America Athletic Conference match, and the Eagles won in straight sets 3-0. Central then faced Morningside College, and the Eagles won in comeback fashion 3-2.
With the victories, Central Methodist improves to 25-3 overall, and 6-0 in Heart of America Athletic Conference play.
"We had two exciting matches tonight," said CMU head volleyball coach Allison Jones-Olson. "We came out strong against Clarke, and we adapted well throughout the match against Morningside. I am really proud of our team effort tonight.
In their first match as conference rivals, CMU faced Clarke on their homecourt. The Eagles and Crusaders kept it close during the first set, with Central coming out victorious 25-23. The next two sets were not as close, as Central won 25-15 and 25-18 to close out Clarke in straight sets.
Central made just 15 errors in the entire match, and hit over 22% against Clarke.
Erin Dodd (SR/Pittsburg, Ill.) led the Eagles with 17 digs, while Melody Hanson (SR/Spring Hill, Kan.) led the team with 19 assists.
In their second match of the day, Central squared off with a tough Morningside College squad that has spent time in the NAIA Volleyball Coaches' Poll this season. Central was tested from the beginning of the match, dropping the first set 23-25. CMU would be forced to rally, winning three out of the next four sets to claim the 3-2 victory. Final scores were: 26-24, 23-25, 26-24, and 15-13.
Darcy Latham (JR/Bismark, Mo.), Marina Alves (SO/Belo Horizonte, Brazil), and Madison Bond (JR/Jefferson City, Mo.) all finished with double-digit kills, while Victoria Coleman-Wilson (SR/Grandview, Mo.) finished with nine kills. Melody Hanson led the Eagles with 25 assists, while Samantha Reed (SO/Westfield, Ind.) finished with 23. Darcy Latham led Central with 20 digs, and Erin Dodd finished second best, with 14 digs.
The Eagles finish their roadtrip in Iowa tomorrow (Saturday), as they head to Cedar Rapids to face Mount Mercy University at 2pm.
For more information about Central Methodist University athletics, visit http://www.cmueagles.com. Follow CMU athletics on Facebook at www.facebook.com/cmathletics and on Twitter twitter.com/cmueagles.
