Stats | Recap | Photos
Moorhead, Minn.-- Five up, five down and one more program record is knocked off the pedestal.

Concordia systematically swept UM-Morris (30-18, 30-19, 30-23) Tuesday and in the process set a program record for the most consecutive wins to start a season. The Cobbers' 5-0 start eclipses the 1985 squad that went 4-0 to begin the season. What is even more impressive about the beginning of the 2005 campaign is that Concordia has not dropped a single game, winning all five matches in three-game sweeps.

The Cobbers wasted little time in taking control of the match as they sprinted to a 7-0 lead in the first game. By the time the Cougars caught their breathe; Concordia was ahead 17-5 and well on their way to the 30-18 opening-game victory.

The second game turned out to be a lesson in volleyball rotation. Leading 10-2, Concordia was caught out of rotation and forced to forfeit the eight points they had won on the serve after the game was tied at 2-2. Lifted by the eight-point reprieve, UM-Morris rallied to trade points with Concordia until the Cobbers pushed a 13-12 lead into a 21-13 cushion. The Cobbers then outscored the Cougars 9-6 the rest of the way to claim the 30-19 win.

The third, and final, game was the most hotly contested. UM-Morris used a 7-2 run after the first 21 points of the game to grab an 18-12 lead. Concordia rallied and snapped off an 8-2 run of their own to tie the game at 20-20. The final push of the match came after the score was tied at 21-21. The Cobbers went on a five-point streak to go ahead 26-21 and put themselves on the brink of the record-setting victory. After surrendering two straight points, Concordia closed out the match on a 4-0 run that culminated in a match-clinching block by Lindsay Sipma and Mackenzie Close.

The Concordia tree-like frontline was too much for the Cougars to see through and overcome. UM-Morris finished the contest with an attack percentage of -0.033, marking only third time in the last five years that Concordia has held an opponent in negative attack numbers (Hamline - 2004; St. Catherine - 2001).

While the Cobber defense was neutralizing the UM-Morris offense, the Cobber offense was effective enough to produce 38 kills. Junior All-American Becca Shane led all players with 10 kills. She has now posted double-digit kill totals in four of the team's first five matches. Freshman Danielle Norby finished with nine kills and a match-high attack percentage of .389.

Jill Hance and Alyssa Dahl orchestrated the Cobber attack from the setter position. Hance, fresh off her tournament MVP performance at the Haverford Invitational, had a team-high 13 assists, while Dahl recorded 11.

Defensively, Concordia was led by Anna Walden who had 11 digs in the three games. It is the second time this season that Walden has posted 11 digs in a match. Outside hitter Michelle Honek finished with eight digs and four kills.

UM-Morris was led by aptly named Brittany Kill who had a team-high seven kills. Melissa Weller put up 14 assists to lead all players and Sarah Nelson recorded a match-high 12 digs.

Concordia will look to better their season-starting record when they host Mayville State on Friday, September 12 at 7:00 p.m.