MINOT, N.D. — The Minnesota State University Moorhead volleyball team picked up two victories on Friday at the Minot State Classic. MSUM defeated Montana State-Billings, 15-25, 25-19, 21-25, 29-27, 15-11 and topped Bemidji State 25-12, 25-22, 22-25, 29-27.

MSUM is now 2-0 in nonconference play.

In the win over MSUB, freshman setter Ellie Hoyt had a career-high 53 set assists and 18 digs. Junior libero Monica Vega had 30 digs. Sophomore hitter Kaylyn Jenkins led the hitting corps with 19 kills, while sophomore hitter Courtney Selbitschka had 16 kills and 19 digs. Freshman hitter Kylie Kanwischer had nine kills. Jenkins and Kanwischer had four block assists each.

MSUM faced a 2-1 deficit in the contest and was twice faced with match point  in the fourth set but staved off defeat and pulled out a 29-27 win, with Kanwischer and freshman Lauren Kiewiet teaming up for a block for the winning point.

The fifth game was tied at 5-5 but MSUM scored three points in a row — two coming on kills from sophomore hitter Sarah Hagler — to take an 8-5 lead. MSUB closed within 10-9, but the Dragons scored the next four points — keyed by two block assists by Kanwischer and Kiewiet and a kill from Selbitschka — to take a 14-8 lead, on their way to the 15-11 win.

Jenkins and Selbitschka led MSUM with 11 kills each in the four-set win over Bemidji State. Hasler had eight kills while Kiewiet had seven.  Hoyt had 38 set assists while Vega had 19 digs. Selbitschka had 17 digs while Kiewiet had 11. Jenkins had one solo block and five assists.

MSUM cruised to wins in the first two sets before Bemidji State won the third set to force a fourth set.

The fourth set was very close as Bemidji State served for the set three times, but each time MSUM stayed alive. When the match was tied at 27-27, Selbitschka and Hagler had kills to finish a 29-27 win and clinch the match for MSUM.

The Dragons face Minot State at 11 a.m. on Saturday and South Dakota School of Mines and Technology at 3 p.m. to wrap up the weekend.