Aberdeen, S.D.- The Minnesota State University Moorhead Volleyball team lost to Northern State in four sets Tuesday evening, 18-25, 25-21, 25-17, 25-19. The Dragons came out on fire in Aberdeen, taking the first set over the Wolves, but could not keep the momentum going, dropping the next three sets.

The Dragons are now 5-4 on the season.

Senior Maggie Gruber notched 16 kills for the Dragons, a season high for her. Junior Abby Wolpern had 13 kills while junior Kaitlin VanWinkle added 10 kills, six digs, and four blocks. Senior Sam Sullivan led the team with 23 assists and junior Amber Krenske led the team with 21 digs. For Northern State, Preseason NSIC player of the year Kelsey Chambers posted a game-high 19 kills in the match.

The first set was a back and forth match in the beginning, with neither team gaining more than a two point lead until Krenske went to serve for the Dragons. MSUM scored four straight points with Krenske serving, thanks to kills from Gruber and junior Morgan Gradishar. The Dragons played solid defense blocking the explosive Wolf offense in the first set, displayed when freshman Claire Grimm and VanWinkle teamed up for a block on a Chambers attempt to push the lead to 14-8. A long rally ended with a kill from Gruber to make it 20-14. A kill from Wolpern gave the Dragons the set 25-18.Wolpern and Gruber had four kills in the set for the Dragons while Krenske added six digs.

Both teams displayed tremendous effort in the second set, staying close to each other throughout the beginning of the set. Northern State took the first advantage after blocking two straight Dragon attacks to take a 9-7 lead. Sullivan decided at the last minute to attack rather than set, catching the Wolves off guard, landing a kill for the Dragons, tying the score at 14. The Dragons led 17-16 and 18-17 in the set, but the Wolves pulled ahead in the end, winning the set 25-21.

Just as the last two sets, the beginning of the third set started out with back-and-forth play, neither team budging until two errors from MSUM put the Wolves up 15-10. Northern State gained momentum after that moment and never looked back. The Wolves lead by as much as eight in the set. The Dragons fought back to be down 20-16, but ended up dropping the set 25-17. VanWinkle had seven kills in the set and Wolplern added six.

The Dragons came out firing in the fourth set, opening a 7-3 lead before the Wolves came back and tied the score at 7-7. A kill from Gruber and a block from Gruber and VanWinkle on consecutive points gave the Dragons the lead again 10-8. Later in the set, the Wolves scored four straight points to open a 19-16 lead and they never looked back, taking the set 25-19 and the match 3-1.

The Dragons will continue conference play on the road with a Friday-Saturday matchup against Minnesota State Mankato and Concordia-St. Paul. Opening serve from Mankato will be 7 p.m. Friday and 2 p.m. Saturday from St. Paul.