Grand Forks, ND - The Leatherneck volleyball team fell in both matches on day one of the North Dakota Classic losing to Belmont and North Dakota. 

In the first match against Belmont, Keyana Cruse led the Leathernecks offensively with a game-high 17 kills. Defensively, Karli Wenzel led the way with 20 digs and there were three Leathernecks tied for first in blocks with four. In the first set, WIU would take control early, going up by as many as 10, leading 19-9. Belmont responded with an 8-1 run to cut down the Leatherneck lead to 20-17, but Elizabeth Ziegler's kill stopped the run to put WIU up 21-17. WIU would end the first set on a 4-1 run which included a Julianna Schmidt kill to give the Leathernecks the first set victory.

In sets two through four, WIU and Belmont battled with all of the final scores being close. In set two, WIU had an 11-4 lead to start the set, but Belmont would go on a 7-2 run to make the set 13-11 in favor of the Leathernecks. Keyana Cruse would have a couple of kills late in the set to give WIU a 19-17 advantage. Belmont responded once again by going on an 8-4 run to win the set 25-21. In set three, the Leathernecks would go on two separate runs of 5-0 and 4-0. During the 5-0 run, Kennedy Adair had two service aces which would give WIU the 5-4 lead early in the set. Trailing 11-8, Elizabeth Ziegler sparked the 4-0 run with a kill and the Leathernecks would go on to lead 12-11. Belmont would go on a run of their own and hold on for the set three win by a score of 25-21. In the fourth set, it was back-and-forth the whole way with the largest lead being 10-7 in favor of Belmont, who would go on to take the set 25-23.

In the match against North Dakota, the Fighting Hawks took all three sets by scores of 25-19, 25-20, and 25-15. Kennedy Adair had six kills to lead the Leathernecks offensively.

Maggie Craker now ranks fifth all-time in Leatherneck Volleyball history for total assists with 2,330. Craker finished the game against Belmont with 32 assists and had 19 against North Dakota.