Box Score
ST. PAUL, Minn. – A strong start over the first set-and-a-half wasn't enough for the Minnesota State University Moorhead volleyball team on Friday night as the Dragons fell to No. 1-ranked Concordia-St. Paul, 23-25, 25-22, 25-8, 25-14 in Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference action in St. Paul, Minn.

MSUM fell to 14-9 overall and 7-8 in the NSIC with the loss, while Concordia-St. Paul improved to 23-1 overall and 15-0 in the league with its 21st straight win.

Sophomore Kaitlin VanWinkle paced MSUM with 10 kills, while freshman Brianna Atkins had nine and junior Maggie Gruber six. Junior setter Sam Sullivan had 19 assists while sophomore Casie Baer added 14. Sophomore Amber Krenske had 10 digs while Gruber had four service aces.

MSUM hit .135 for the match, compared to .397 for the Golden Bears.

"The team played with great intensity throughout the match," MSUM head coach Tammy Blake said. "Even when we were down we still fought hard."

The Dragons led for most of the first set and led 20-18 after the Golden Bears cut a four-point deficit to two. MSUM scored four of the next five points – keyed by two block assists from VaWinkle and a kill from Atkins – to take a 23-19 lead. Concordia cut the gap to 24-22 but VanWinkle put down a kill to end the threat and give MSUM a 25-22 win. The Dragons hit .310 for the first set.

That momentum carried through the first half of the second set. MSUM stormed out to a 6-0 lead, keyed by kills from junior Annie Palmquist and Atkins and two service aces from Gruber. MSUM held a 14-8 lead and pushed the lead to 16-8 after a kill from Atkins and a service ace from Gruber.

However, the Golden Bears then seized the momentum after that. They went on a 14-3 run to surge into a 22-19 lead. The Dragons closed to within 24-22 after a Palmquist kill but got no closer and lost 25-22.

Concordia dominated the third set, jumping out to a 10-2 lead and earning a 25-8 win. The Golden Bears also controlled play in the fourth set, taking a 10-3 lead and earning a 25-14 win.

VanWinkle and Gruber each had four block assists, while sophomore Abby Wolpern had three. Sophomore Morgan Gradishar had eight digs and four kills.

The Dragons are at Minnesota State, Mankato on Saturday for a 4 p.m. match.