MINOT, N.D. – The Minnesota State University Moorhead volleyball team improved to 4-0 on the season with a pair of nonconference wins on Saturday at the Minot State Classic. MSUM beat Minot State, 25-23, 20-25, 29-27, 25-16 and followed with a 25-10, 25-22, 25-21 win over South Dakota School of Mines.

In the win over Minot to open the day, freshman setter Ellie Hoyt had 44 set assists and 10 digs. Sophomore hitter Courtney Selbitchka had 17 kills and 14 digs, while sophomore hitter Kaylyn Jenkins had 17 kills and 14 digs. Junior libero Monica Vega had 20 digs. Freshman Kylie Kanwischer led MSUM with one solo block and six assists while freshman Lauren Kiewiet  had 10 digs.

The first set between MSUM and Minot was tied at 23-23 before the Dragons scored the final two points to secure the set win. Selbitschka had a kill and Kiewiet and Kanwischer teamed up for a block for those final two points.

The Dragons lost the second set 25-20 and faced a dogfight in the third set. Minot had three set points but the Dragons stayed alive. Kaylyn Jenkins then provided the key plays, with three straight kills to turn a 27-26 deficit into a 29-27 win.

MSUM had an easier time in the fourth set. The Dragons led 14-13 but outscored the Beavers 11-3 to close out a 25-16 set win.
The Dragons controlled the match from the outset against South Dakota Mines, led by a strong performance by freshman hitter Sarah Petrbok, who had 12 kills. Jenkins had nine while senior hitter Tyann Caspers had six. Hoyt had 28 set assists while Vega had 23 digs.

A 13-0 run closed out a 25-10 win in the first set for MSUM. The second set was tied at 22-22  but a Hardrocker service error, followed by a kill from Kanwischer and a SDM error, gave MSUM a 25-22 win.

Caspers had kills on two of the final three points to clinch a 25-21 win in set three for the Dragons, giving MSUM its first sweep of the season.
MSUM will compete at the Quincy tournament next Friday and Saturday.