WINONA, Minn. – MSU Moorhead volleyball would have the chance to take home a win on the road against Winona State on Friday evening. However, the Warriors would rally in the final two frames to take the match in five sets. 
 
Both teams would combine for a bevy of errors through the first few exchanges. The Warriors would lead 6-4 before a trio of blazing kills from Abby Thompson helped pull the Dragons within a point. Brielle Riess and Mya Pfeifer would turn away back-to-back Winona State attacks to even the set at nine points. A 5-0 Dragon spurt, led by kills from Thompson, Raiah Mandell and Emily Ramsay, helped push MSUM to a four-point lead. Kiara Olesch turned in a service ace for the Dragons in the flurry. 
 
The Warriors would eventually even the score at 15 points, forcing a Dragon timeout. Out of the timeout, MSUM would again go on a nice run of 5-1. Ramsay turned in a service ace before Halle Erickson rejected a Warrior attack. Winona State would need a timeout, trailing 21-16. Thompson would rack up her seventh kill of the set to bring the Dragons a 23-18 lead. A Dragon block assist and kill from Mandell would clinch the set for MSUM, 25-20. 
 
Each team would match the other's energy in the second set as MSUM built a 8-5 lead behind a trio of kills from Riess. Winona State would march right back to even the contest at 10 points. The Dragons would again build a three-point lead (14-11) behind an ace from Amanda Lisi and a kill from Erickson. 
 
Riess' sixth kill of the set would keep the Dragons at arm's length, 17-15. Winona State would have a long rally go their way late in the set that helped the Warriors to a 21-20 lead. The Warriors would eventually take the frame 25-21 behind a .354 hitting percentage and four aces in the set.
 
The teams would again match one another in the third set as they would trade punches back and forth throughout the early portions. Riess continued her strong night with three kills to keep the Dragons even before a Ramsay kill gave MSUM a lead. With the teams tied at 13, a kill from Thompson would jumpstart a 4-0 Dragon burst which featured an ace from Maci Martini. MSUM would lead 18-14 following a smashing attack from Pfeifer. 
 
Winona State would fire right back to eventually tie the frame at 20 points. MSUM scored needed kills from Ramsay and Thompson to pull close to set point, leading 22-20. The Dragons would close down the set behind a pair of kills from Riess, giving her 16 for the match, a new career best for the true frosh.
 
The Warriors would rally back in the fourth set and would push the match to a full five sets. Winona State jumped out in front, 6-1 and would not look back from there. The home team won the frame 25-15 as MSUM was limited to just a .138 hitting percentage compared to Winona State's .317 clip.
 
A match-deciding fifth set would see Winona State continue its strong offensive attack, building a 9-4 lead. MSUM would fall victim to four attack errors in that stretch, forcing a Dragon timeout. Winona State would extend their lead to eight points (12-4) before the Dragons snapped a 6-0 Warrior run. The Warriors would wrap up the set, winning 15-5. Riess finished with a double-double while Thompson matched her career high in kills for MSUM. 
 
Top Dragons

• Brielle Riess: 16 kills (career-high), 13 digs, .317 hitting percentage
• Abby Thompson: 14 kills, .333 hitting percentage
• Emily Ramsay: Nine kills, 23 digs, two service aces
• Raiah Mandell: Six kills
• Amanda Lisi: 23 assists, eight digs, one service ace

 
Up Next
 
The Dragons (7-7, 2-4 NSIC) are headed to St. Paul for a match with 13^th-ranked Concordia, St. Paul tomorrow afternoon with first serve slated for 2 p.m.