PELLA, IOWA – The Elmhurst University volleyball team slipped to 1-2 on the season after dropping a pair of contests at the Grinnell/Central Tournament in Iowa.
 
Elmhurst dropped a five-set thriller to the University of Dubuque to start the day before falling 3-0 to the University of Wisonsin-Platteville in the night cap.
 
DUBUQUE 3, ELMHURST 2 - Elmhurst dropped a tightly-contested five-set match with Dubuque to start the day. Dubuque squeaked out a 25-22, 17-25, 27-25, 19-25, 19-17 win over the Bluejays.
 
With the match even at a set apiece, Dubuque opened up a 23-20 lead in the third. The Bluejays fought off three set points to tie the set at 25-all before the Spartans won the last two points to take the set. Elmhurst broke open a 16-16 fourth set with a 7-2 run to move in front 23-18. A block from Katelyn Bower sealed the set for the Bluejays and sent the match to a decisive fifth set.
 
Dubuque raced out to a 9-4 lead in the fifth only for Elmhurst to rattle of 7-2 run and pull even at 11-11. Trailing 14-13, the Bluejays fought off a match point and then had a chance to serve for the match up 15-14, but an error tied the score at 15-all. Elmhurst had two additional match points that the Spartans fought off before Dubuque put the match away at 19-17.
 
Elmhurst hit .210 for the match with 73 kills and 29 errors in 210 attempts. Taylor Zurliene paced Elmhurst in the loss with a career-high 23 kills to go with 17 digs. Emily Duis added 13 kills while Elise Rossing finished with 12 kills and Jada Wiley totaled 11. Valerie Thomas added a team-high 36 digs while Emily Finkbeiner added 17 and Peyton Ceh totaled 11. Duis added four blocks while Erin Murray added a career-high 60 assists in the loss.
 
Emma Powell paced Dubuque with 18 kills and 17 digs while Darby Hawtrey finished with 15 kills and 20 digs.
 
UW-PLATTEVILLE 3, ELMHURST 0 – Elmhurst dropped its final match of the tournament in three sets, falling to UW-Platteville 25-15, 29-27, 25-21.
 
The Pioneers led from start to finish in the opening set before the second set became a back-and-forth affair with seven ties and four lead changes. Platteville led 21-16 in the second before the Bluejays surged back, tying the score at 23-23 and again at 24-24. Elmhurst had a pair of set points, but could not put the set away, allowing the Pioneers to come away with the 29-27 win. Platteville raced out to a quick 10-4 lead in the third set and never looked back, holding off the Bluejays for the 25-21 win.
 
Elmhurst plays at the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater on Tuesday, September 7.