FAYETTE, Iowa – The Minnesota State University Moorhead volleyball team won the first two sets, but Upper Iowa rallied to win the next three in a 11-25, 19-25, 25-21, 25-16, 15-10 win over the Dragons in Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference action Saturday in Fayette, Iowa.
MSUM fell to 11-6 overall and 4-5 in the NSIC with the loss, while Upper Iowa improved to 9-9 overall and 3-6 in the league.
Senior setter
Casie Baer had 49 set assists and 15 digs for MSUM, while senior libero
Amber Krenske had 20 digs.
Sophomore hitter
Claire Grimm had 15 kills while sophomore hitter
Carly Masloski had 13. Senior hitters
Abby Wolpern and
Kaitlin VanWinkle had 12 kills each. VanWinkle and Masloski each had one solo block and four assists.
MSUM's offensive attack started strong, hitting .419 in the first set on the way to a 25-11 win.Wolpern had four kills during the opening set. Upper Iowa was within 9-6 at one point but MSUM took control with six straight points – keyed by kills from Masloski and junior middle blocker
Kelsey Hartkopf – to take a 15-6 lead. The Dragons were never threatened in a 25-11 win.
In the second set, MSUM led 10-9 but scored five in a row to take a 15-9. Grimm had a kill during that run. MSUM pulled away for a 25-16 win.
The Dragons hit just .091 in the third set and lost 25-21, and hit .000 in the fourth set and fell 25-16.
The decisive fifth set saw the Dragons take a 5-4 lead. The Dragons were within 9-8 before Upper Iowa scored six of the final seven points to secure a 15-10 lead.
MSUM returns home to face Minnesota State on Friday at 7 p.m.
