MADISON, Wis. – The Concordia Wisconsin women's volleyball team left everything on the court Tuesday night in the Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference Tournament quarterfinals. The seventh-seeded Falcons pushed second-seeded Edgewood to the brink in a five-set thriller before falling 3-2 (21-25, 25-14, 18-25, 25-17, 14-16). The Falcons finish the season at 13-14 after battling until the final point against the Eagles, who improved to 21-8.
The Blue and White came out firing in the opening set, building an early 14-6 advantage behind a balanced offensive attack and aggressive serving. Edgewood battled back, but the Falcons continued to fight, tying the score at 17, 18, 19 and 20 before the Eagles escaped with a 25-21 victory.
Concordia Wisconsin responded with authority in the second set. After trading points early, the Falcons began to take control with strong play at the net and timely kills. The Blue and White built a 15-10 advantage and never looked back, closing the set on a 10-4 run for a commanding 25-14 victory. CUW hit .310 in the set while holding the Eagles to a .057 hitting percentage.
Edgewood regained the advantage in the third set with a 25-18 victory, but the Falcons refused to let their season end without a fight.
Facing elimination in the fourth set, Concordia Wisconsin delivered one of its strongest defensive performances of the night. Trailing 10-8, the Falcons rattled off seven consecutive points behind the serving of Makenna Thompson, including back-to-back service aces. The Blue and White continued to apply pressure, using their blocking presence to frustrate the Edgewood attack.
The Falcons pulled away for a 25-17 victory, limiting the Eagles to a negative hitting percentage in the set and forcing a decisive fifth set.
The fifth set delivered plenty of drama as the Falcons continued to trade blows with the Eagles. CUW held a 10-8 advantage after a kill from Brianna Stewart and pushed its lead to 12-10 following a block from Bailey Bonde and Kirsten Krause.
The Falcons moved within two points of advancing to the semifinals when Krause connected for a kill to make it 13-11. Edgewood responded with three consecutive points to take a 14-13 lead, but the Blue and White fought off match point to tie the contest at 14. The Eagles ultimately claimed the final two points to escape with a 16-14 victory.
Krause led the Concordia Wisconsin attack with a match-high 16 kills and added 10 digs for a double-double.
Emily Dickmann orchestrated the Falcon offense with 36 assists, 12 digs, four kills, four block assists and two service aces.
The Falcons were a force at the net throughout the evening, finishing with 12 team blocks. Stewart led the charge with seven total blocks, including one solo rejection, while adding eight kills on an impressive .368 hitting percentage.
Bonde also delivered a strong performance with nine kills on a .316 hitting percentage and five block assists.
The CUW defense was equally determined, collecting 78 digs in the five-set battle. Emy Miller anchored the back row with a team-high 22 digs, while Natalie Nickolai added 16 digs and six kills. Thompson contributed eight digs and two service aces, while Madison Cimbalnik finished with a match-high three aces.
The Falcons finished with 51 kills, eight service aces and a .169 hitting percentage while holding Edgewood to a .132 hitting percentage.
The hard-fought quarterfinal battle brings the Falcons' 2026 campaign to a close, with the Blue and White showcasing their resilience and determination until the final whistle.
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