ST. CLOUD, Minn. – Drury volleyball opened the season falling in a five-set heartbreaker to Minnesota-Duluth, then fell to ninth-ranked Saint Cloud State on the first day of the St. Cloud / Concordia Tournament to start the 2022 season.
 
The Panthers lost a marathon, five-set match to start the day against Minnesota-Duluth. The Panthers won the first two sets, 25-18 and 25-22, but the Bulldogs bounced back to force a fifth set with a 25-16 win in the third and a 25-14 victory in the fourth.
 
Drury had Minnesota Duluth at match-point four times, but the Bulldogs stayed alive and, trailing 19-18 in the fifth, got three straight kills to clinch the win.
 
Kayli Duncan, a sophomore from Wichita, Kansas, and transfer from Butler Community College, led Drury with 12 kills. Sophomore Stormi Tadlock added 11 kills and nine block assists, while Gabby Birmingham contributed 25 assists.
 
Samantha Paulsen had 19 kills to lead Minnesota Duluth and Cianna Selbitschka added 16 kills. Madison Gordon had 58 assists in the match for the Bulldogs. 
 
In Drury's second match of the day, the Panthers fell in a tight first set, 25-23, then had a 23-21 lead in the second before the ninth-ranked Huskies rallied to win the second, 25-23. St. Cloud State then won the third 25-15 to finish off the match.
 
Tadlock had 11 kills, Chloe Rear had 24 assists, and Juliana Squire added 16 digs for Drury. Kenzie Foley led the Huskies with 19 kills, while Emma Berran contributed 36 assists.
 
Saturday, the Panthers travel to St. Paul, Minnesota, for the second half of the tournament. Drury will take on 15^th ranked Winona State at 9:30 am, then number six Concordia at 4 pm.
 
 
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