GRAND JUNCTION, Colo. – MSU Moorhead used a balanced offensive attack coupled with standout defensive efforts from Abby Thompson and Raiah Mandell en route to a four-set victory over Cal State Dominguez Hills. The match was the first of four for the Dragons as part of the Maverick Fall Classic. 
 
MSUM would jump out of the gates in dominating fashion in the first set as the Dragons bombarded the Toros with two early scoring runs. The first came on a 5-1 burst to open the set, led by strikes from Halle Erickson, Brielle Riess, Emily Ramsay and Annalise Wilson. While the Toros would snap that run in the ensuing serve, it was the next Dragon run that truly packed a punch.
 
The Dragons would rattle off 10 consecutive points, all with Amanda Lisi behind the service line. Lisi buried a pair of service aces while Ramsay chipped in a pair of kills. The momentum shift in the run occurred thanks to a block assist from Raiah Mandell and Abby Thompson, forcing a Toro timeout. 
 
MSUM would control the first frame from there, building out a lead as large as 13 points. Throughout the remainder of the set, the Dragons dispersed their attack as four different players earned kills. Mandell led the way with four down the stretch for MSUM while Riess added in a service ace. MSUM would take the set 25-13 behind a .333 hitting percentage. 
 
A bevy of errors from the Toros to begin set two helped MSUM build a 7-3 lead early on. While the Toro defense would earn some valuable points thanks to a pair of block assists, the consistent errors seemed to overwrite it. Following a Lisi kill, MSUM would lead 10-8 and would stretch that lead to 13-9 after a kill from Erickson. Midway through the set, Cal State Dominguez Hills began to connect on its attack, pulling even with the Dragons at 15 points. The teams would go back and forth from there as a block assist from Mandell and Mya Pfeifer kept the set tied at 19 points. 
 
The arms race would continue as set point approached with the Toros leading 24-22. A kill from Thompson would bring the Dragons to within one before the Toros wrapped the set on a service error. MSUM would rebound quickly to build an 11-5 advantage in the third set, sparked by a block solo from Ruby Bones early in the frame. Riess and Mandell would tally kills in the stretch while Ramsay earned a service ace. MSUM's defense continued to look stout at the net as Thompson and Riess combined for a block assist as well.
 
MSUM would extend that lead out to nine points (20-11) later in the set as Erickson would register three kills in the burst. However, the Toros would bounce back, going on a 12-1 run to even the count at 22 points. Cal State Dominguez Hills would again reach set point as they led 24-23. A needed kill from Riess would tie the game at 24 before back-to-back Toro errors secured a 26-24 Dragon set win. 
 
A gridlock would continue into a deciding fourth set as the teams opened evenly. A block solo from Thompson put the Dragons up 8-5 early before the Toros answered to take the lead, 9-8. MSUM would then respond with a 4-0 run headlined by another block assist from the dynamic duo of Thompson and Mandell. A Riess kill led to a Toro timeout as MSUM led 12-9. Ramsay would tally her 14^th kill to keep the Dragons in front (14-10) shortly thereafter. Cal State Dominguez Hills would respond with a 4-0 run to tie the set again (14-14). Mandell marked her career-high 10^th kill to keep the game even at 15 points.
 
The Toros would jump up to a 19-17 advantage before the Dragons fired back with a 4-0 run of their own. Another block assist from Thompson and Mandell would give the Dragons the lead once more, 21-20. Once again, the defensive pairing would bring MSUM to set point with the score 24-22. Thompson would cap the amazing effort with her second block solo of the set  to clinch the match. Mandell and Thompson combined for 14 total blocks in the game as MSUM claimed the 3-1 match win. Ramsay and Riess each finished with double doubles for the Dragons. 
 
Top Dragons

• Emily Ramsay: 16 kills (career high), 10 digs, one service ace
• Halle Erickson: 12 kills (career high), block assist
• Raiah Mandell: 10 kills (career high, six block assists 
• Abby Thompson: Five kills, six block assists, two block solos
• Brielle Riess: 10 kills, 14 digs, two service aces
• Annalise Wilson: 23 assists, one service ace
• Amanda Lisi: 20 assists, two service aces

 
Up Next
 
MSUM (3-2) is back on the court tomorrow afternoon in Grand Junction as they meet up with Cal Poly Humboldt at 1 p.m. The Dragons will also face off with 15^th-ranked Colorado Mesa at 8:30 p.m. tomorrow evening.