SIOUX FALLS, S.D. — The Minnesota State University Moorhead volleyball team fell to the University of Sioux Falls, 25-17, 21-25, 25-19, 25-20 in Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference action Saturday afternoon in Sioux Falls, S.D.

MSUM fell to 12-10 overall and 5-9 in the NSIC with the loss, while USF improved to 11-12 overall and 3-11 in the conference.

Coming off of back-to-back five-set road losses to No. 2 Northern State and No. 5 Southwest Minnesota State, the Dragons were tied at a set apiece against USF before the Cougars won the final two sets to secure the win.

Senior middle blocker Kaitlin VanWinkle led the way with 15 kills and seven block assists, while sophomore hitter Carly Masloski had 11 kills. Senior right-side hitter Abby Wolpern had nine kills, while senior setter Casie Baer had 40 set assists and 18 digs. Redshirt freshman defensive specialist Monica Vega had 11 digs.

MSUM hit .139 for the match while the Cougars hit .227.

After losing the first set 25-17, the Dragons came back strong in the second set. Trailing 16-14, MSUM scored four points in a row — which included kills from sophomore outside hitter Claire Grimm, VanWinkle and Wolpern — to take an 18-16 lead. The Cougars were as close as 20-19 but a kill by Masloski, followed by a Baer service ace, pushed the lead to 22-19 and from there, MSUM cruised to a 25-21 win.

In the third set, MSUM was within 13-12 after Grimm and VanWinkle teamed up for a block, but the Cougars scored three points in a row to push the lead to 16-12. MSUM never got closer than there the rest of the set before falling 25-19.

A Masloski kill put MSUM up 10-9 in the fourth set, but the Cougars answered with four straight points to take 13-10 lead. MSUM trailed by as many as eight points in the set before going on a 5-0 run — sparked by a block from Wolpern and VanWinkle and a kill from Grimm — to cut the lead to 21-18. The Dragons got no closer, however as they fell 25-20.

The Dragons also got one solo block, five assisted blocks and four kills from junior middle blocker Kelsey Hartkopf.   Grimm had five kills.

MSUM begins its final regular-season homestand of the year next weekend against two more nationally-ranked teams. The Dragons will host No. 21 Augustana at 7 p.m. on Oct. 30 and conclude the weekend against No. 6 Wayne State at 4 p.m. on Oct. 31. The matches are part of a four-match homestand for the Dragons.