Season opens for UHSP with pair of losses in Iowa

(Photo courtesy of Angelica Daginis)

DUBUQUE, IA - The University of Health Sciences and Pharmacy began their 2024 season on Friday night with a pair of matches in the Clarke University Invite. The Eutectics feature nearly a completely revamped roster entering the new campaign coming off a three-win season last year. The Eutectics dropped both contests on opening night losing to Michigan-Dearborn, 25-21, 25-9, 25-23 and then falling to Briar Cliff, 26-24, 25-13, 25-12.

In the opening match, the Eutectics attacked well in the opening set recording a dozen kills on 27 attacks. It was a late-set 5-0 run by UHSP capped by a Hannah Kynaston kill that tied the set at 19-all. It was a set that featured three ties and two lead changes, but after that 19-19 tie the Wolverines scored six of the final eight points to take the opening set. The Purple and Gold struggled offensively in the second as they managed just a single kill while UM-Dearborn assembled a .389 attack percentage. Michigan ripped off early runs of five and eight straight to build a 13-1 lead in a set that was never competitive. The third set saw UHSP tally ten kills, but nine attack errors and featured nine ties and was tight all the way through. A late 4-0 run by UMD gave the Wolverines a 22-20 lead, but a Tera Schumacher ace tied it at 22-22 and a Sophia Michaud kill leveled it at 23-all. Michigan wrapped it up with a kill and a UHSP error to win it in straight sets.

In the second match, the Eutectics met a Chargers club that played a five-thriller in their opener against Clarke which forced UHSP to sit for over nearly two hours waiting for Briar Cliff to finish against the Pride. Briar Cliff had a two sets to none lead against Clarke but ended up losing in five sets to fall to 1-2 before meeting UHSP. Against the Chargers, UHSP spent almost the entire set playing catch up. They were finally able to knot things at 21-21 off a Macy Hendrix serve. A Hannah Kynaston kill would tie it at 22-22 with AnnMarie Cates getting in the act offensively with a point to square things at 23-23. Jenna Brinson set up Sophia Michaud on the ensuing point to give the Purple and Gold set point. But Briar Cliff took the next three points to take the opening set out from under the Eutectics. The second set was decided on a 10-0 spurt by the Chargers that turned things from an 11-8 deficit to an 18-11 lead for Briar Cliff en route to a 12-point set win. The third set was all Chargers as they took the set in a wire-to-wire win.

Sophia Michaud led the Eutectics in kills in her UHSP debut totaling 13 on the day. Hannah Kynaston added ten and Sumanpreet Kaur finished with eight. Veteran Jenna Brinson had 24 assists over the course of the two matches while Ava Baggett totaled 18 digs. Hitting errors were the undoing for UHSP as they combined for 48 over the course of the day, hitting .036 against the Wolverines and -.010 against the Chargers.

The Eutectics (0-2) are right back at it again on Saturday for another pair of games in the Clarke University Invite. UHSP gets the host club to kick off day two at 11:00a and then faces Mount Marty (S.D.) at 1:00p.