GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — An opening-set victory was not enough for the Panthers on Saturday, as Parkside rallied to take the next three sets and hand Davenport a 3-1 loss (25-16, 22-25, 17-25, 18-25) at the DU Student Center. Senior Abby Alan was honored before the start of the Panthers' final home match of the regular season.
Davenport moved to 16-8 overall and 8-6 in GLIAC play, while Parkside improved to 15-10 overall and 7-7 in the conference.
Serving and serve receive proved costly for the Panthers, who committed 10 service errors, including seven in the final two sets, and surrendered 13 aces. Davenport recorded nine aces, led by three from Hayley Carr, while Parkside's Dani Kopacz totaled seven.
Karley Pretzer led the Panthers with 11 kills on .333 hitting, while Savanah Weathers posted a double-double with 10 kills and a team-high 18 digs. Alan contributed eight kills, and Amelia Werner added seven. Keira Dommer finished with 23 assists and two aces, Madison Berry distributed 17 assists, and Julia Frederick collected 14 digs.
Davenport led throughout the opening set, building a 6-1 advantage before Parkside worked back within 16-14. Kills from Jaide Wirth, Mariya Montgomery and Alan helped DU score four straight points to regain separation. The Panthers closed the set with five consecutive points, including two Carr aces, to win 25-16 while holding the Rangers to a negative .037 hitting percentage.
The Panthers built a 12-6 lead in the second set behind a pair of Pretzer kills and aces from Dommer and Carr. Parkside rallied to take a 17-16 edge, but Davenport responded and moved ahead 22-19 on another Pretzer kill. A DU service error began a six-point Rangers run that included two Kopacz aces and two Monica Lukasiewicz kills, giving Parkside a 25-22 win to even the match.
Parkside scored six consecutive points to take a 6-1 lead in the third. Davenport later cut an 11-5 deficit to 11-9 behind a Dommer ace, a block from Montgomery and Alan, and a Pretzer kill. A service error ended the rally, however, and the Rangers scored five straight points to regain control. DU committed four service errors in the set as Parkside claimed a 25-17 victory.
Davenport stayed within reach in the fourth, pulling within 14-13 on a Pretzer kill. Parkside answered with an 8-2 run to extend its lead to 22-15 and went on to finish the match with a 25-18 win. The Rangers hit .412 in the final set.
The Panthers totaled 43 kills on .203 hitting, while Parkside finished with 47 kills and a .246 hitting percentage. The Rangers also held a 9-4 advantage in total blocks.
Up Next
Davenport closes the regular season on the road at No. 1 Ferris State on Friday, Nov. 6 at 6 p.m., followed by Lake Superior State on Saturday, Nov. 7 at 4 p.m. The Panthers have secured a GLIAC Tournament berth and remain in contention to host a first-round quarterfinal match, with the final weekend helping determine seeding and hosting opportunities.
