Box Score
MANKATO, Minn. -- The Minnesota State University Moorhead volleyball team won the second set to even the match at 1-1, but Minnesota State Mankato won the final two to secure a 25-17, 22-25, 27-25, 25-20 win over the Dragons in Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference action Saturday in Mankato, Minn.

MSUM fell to 14-10 overal and 7-9 in the NSIC with the loss, while Minnesota State improved to 11-13 overal and 6-10 in the league.

The Dragons are now in a four-way tie for the eighth and final NSIC tournament spot. Sioux Falls, Minot State and Winona State are all tied at 7-9, just one game behind seventh-place Minnesota Crookston.

Sophomore Amber Krenske led the Dragons with 21 digs during Saturday's match.  Junior Maggie Gruber had 10 kills, two solo blocks and three block assists. Sophomore Morgan Gradishar had nine kills and 10 digs, while freshman Brianna Atkins had seven kills.  Junior setter Sam Sullivan and sophomore setter Casie Baer each dished out 18 assists.

After losing the first set 25-17, the Dragons faced a 15-9 deficit in the second set before coming back with a 13-6 run to take a 22-21 lead.  Gradishar led that spurt with three kills, while sophomore Kaitlin VanWinkle had a solo block and a kill.

Minnesota State came back to tie the set at 22-22, but MSUM closed the set with three straight points, including a kill from Gruber and two coming from Maverick errors, to earn a 25-22 win.

The Dragons surged out to an 8-3 lead in the third set, with Gruber sparking that run with two kills. Mankato back back to take the lead at 20-17, and MSUM battled back to regain the lead at 23-22. The Dragons served for the set twice but were unable to finish as Mankato prevailed, 27-25.

MSUM led early in the fourth set at 9-8 but the Mavericks turned the tied with an 11-6 run to take a 19-15 lead.  The Dragons got no closer than three the rest of the set and fell 25-20.
VanWinkle added seven kills, one solo block and two block assists for MSUM.

MSUM is back on the road next weekend for a pair of NSIC matches, starting Friday at Augustana.