CHADRON, Neb. – MSU Moorhead volleyball concluded their time at the Chadron State College Tournament by earning a split in a pair of contests with York University and South Dakota Mines on Saturday.
 
MSUM would command their morning match with York (3-0) before South Dakota Mines avenged yesterday's loss to the Dragons. The Hardrockers would sweep the Dragons in the afternoon tilt to close the tournament. 
 
Dragons 3, Panthers 0
 
MSUM would command the match from the jump, earning seven early points to York's one in the first set. Raiah Mandell would collect two kills in that stretch to help propel the Dragons forward. MSUM would cruise in front by eight points (10-2) thanks to a service ace from McKenna Crews. While the Panthers would go on a quick 3-0 run following the ace, MSUM would answer right back with a 6-0 run of their own to move the score to 16-5. Mandell earned another kill in the run while Karlee Luneckas would collect a service ace as well. Luneckas would give the Dragons a 25-14 set win thanks to another service ace. 
 
Mandell and Jocelin Feutz would kick off the second set with a pair of kills as part of a 5-0 Dragon run. That stretch also included back-to-back service aces from outside hitter Bridget Witzmann. MSUM would move in front 13-4 in the second set behind kills from Witzmann and Megan Klein. The Dragons would push that lead to 19-6 at one point in the set before York began to stir. The Panthers would pull to within five points (23-18) late in the set, but a pair of kills from Tori Thompson spelled doom for York in the frame. 
 
MSUM would open the third set on a 5-1 run behind another pair of service aces from Witzmann. However, York would prove competitive with their backs against the wall as the Panthers would bring the score to 19-16 following a 3-0 run. MSUM would push that lead to 21-16 before York went on 6-0 run to pull in front 22-21. However, the Dragons would answer with a 3-0 run thanks to two kills from Witzmann and one from Thompson. With match point in play, York would bring the score to 24-23 before an attack error on the Panthers sealed the victory for MSUM.
 
Witzmann led the way for MSUM in the win with 11 kills on a .409 hit percentage while Thompson finished the match with nine kills on a .571 hitting clip. 
 
Dragons 0, Hardrockers 3
 
MSUM would falter early in the first set as the Hardrockers would take advantage of several Dragon attack errors in the frame. While both teams would rack up 11 kills apiece in the set, MSUM finished the frame with 11 attack errors and a .000 hitting percentage. South Dakota Mines would hop in front with a 25-15 set win. 
 
A marathon second set would see the Dragons rejuvenated offensively while also cleaning up their errors from the first frame. MSUM would register only five attack errors in the set and hit for a .213 percentage. Kari Thompson's club would gain a 10-1 advantage in the set thanks to three kills from Jadyn Feist and a service ace from McKenna Crews. Feist would earn another kill midway through the set to keep the Dragon lead at nine points (13-4). A back and forth ensued from there with the Hardrockers pulling to within three points as part of a 6-1 run (17-14). While the Dragons would still hold a small advantage heading towards 25 points, South Dakota Mines would piece together a late 3-0 run to pull in front 23-22. The teams would remain gridlocked at 24 points before a Witzmann service ace put the Dragons one point away from a set win. 
 
The two teams would then tie each other at 26 points before the Hardrockers put the set away with a kill and a service ace (28-26).
 
In the decisive third set, MSUM and South Dakota Mines would continue to remain even in the early stages. The Hardrockers would build a six-point lead midway through the frame and would expand that lead to seven points (17-10). While MSUM would trim the deficit to as little as five points late in the frame, South Dakota Mines would put the match away thanks to a 5-2 run.
 
Witzmann would once again lead the Dragons with 14 kills and two service aces in the contest. Feist would add in nine kills and a pair of block assists for MSUM.
 
Up Next
 
The Dragons (2-2) turn their attention to next weekend's Hampton Inn Invitational in Kenosha, Wis. MSUM will match up with Purdue Northwest on Friday at 9 a.m. to begin the tournament.