Volleyball | 10/30/2015 10:01:00 PM
Box Score MOORHEAD, Minn. – The Minnesota State University Moorhead volleyball team rallied from a two-set deficit to defeat the No. 20-ranked Augustana Vikings in five sets Friday night at Alex Nemzek Fieldhouse, 22-25, 25-27, 25-21, 25-21, and 15-6.
MSUM improved to 13-10 overall and 6-9 in the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference with the win while Augustana fell to 16-7 overall and 9-6 in the league. It was the Dragons' second win over a nationally-ranked team this season.
A key story of the evening was service aces as the Dragons had seven compared to just one for the Vikings.
The Dragons were led by sophomore outside hitter
Carly Masloski's 19 kills while senior right-side hitter
Abby Wolpern added 15 more. Junior middle blocker
Kelsey Hartkopf was a huge force at the net with eight total blocks and senior middle blocker
Kaitlin VanWinkle contributed 14 kills and five monster blocks to lead the Dragons to victory. Senior setter
Casie Baer dished out 61 assists and had three service aces to add to her resume this evening.
After falling in the first two sets, the Dragons fought hard and took the next three sets from the Vikings to seal the match victory.
MSUM took a 6-5 lead on a huge kill by sophomore outside hitter
Claire Grimm. The Dragons would go on a five point run, bringing their lead to 13-9 on a dominant block by Hartkopf and Baer. A kill by VanWinkle would give the Dragons a 23-20 lead before they would take the set, 25-21 on a kill by Masloski.
The fourth set went back and forth with no solid lead by either team. Another monster block by Hartkopf and Masloski would give the Dragons a 16-12 lead and they would hold onto that lead the remainder of the game. MSUM brought the set to game point on a kill by Masloski, but Augustana would not go away just yet. The Vikings took the next two points from the Dragons before MSUM took the set 25-21 on a kill from Masloski. The Dragons hit .360 in set four.
The decisive fifth set was controlled by the Dragons as they led nearly the entire set. The Vikings would tie the set at three on an attack error by the Dragons, however, MSUM wouldn't look back from that point on. MSUM would take a commanding 8-3 lead on a service ace by senior libero
Amber Krenske, forcing an Augustana timeout. Out of the timeout, the Dragons would score six of the next seven points, bringing the score to 14-5. Another kill by VanWinkle sealed the set and the match victory, 15-6.
The Dragons are back in action tomorrow afternoon at Nemzek Fieldhouse against No. 6-ranked Wayne State at 4 p.m.
