MOORHEAD, Minn. – The Minnesota State University Moorhead volleyball team lost its first Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference match of the season in Bismarck, N.D. Saturday evening. The Dragons fell to the Marauders (6-5, 1-1 NSIC) in four sets, 16-25, 26-24, 22-25, 21-25.

MSUM is now 6-4 overall with a 1-1 record in the NSIC.

Redshirt-freshman hitter Ellie Rutten hit a team high .364, notching 11 kills, two digs and two blocks. Junior captain hitter Carly Masloski led all Dragons in kills with 14 hitting .175, to go along with two blocks and one dig.

Junior hitter Taylor Liesemeyer and freshman hitter Courtney Selbitschka each contributed eight kills. Selbitschka also had 11 digs, two service aces and two blocks.  Redshirt-freshman Sarah Hagler had a team-high six blocks, five kills and two digs. Redshirt-freshman setter Makayla Wenzel had 37 assists on the evening with eight digs and two blocks.

Sophomore libero Monica Vega had a team-high 24 digs. Junior defensive specialist Sydney Foss had nine digs, and senior captain defensive specialist Katie Meyers had eight digs.

The Dragons lost a tough four-set contest to the Marauders. After losing the first set, MSUm came back to win the second set 26-24, breaking a tie-game at 19-19 in their favor. Liesemeyer, Masloski, Selbitschka, and Hagler had kills during the final stretch of the second set.

The Dragons fell behind early in the third set, and could never regain the lead. In the final set, MSUM held the lead at 15-14 before Mary went on an 11-6 run to end the set, and match.

MSUM continues NSIC play on Tuesday, Sept. 20 on the road at Northern State (9-1, 2-0 NSIC).