MARSHALL, Minn. -- MSU Moorhead volleyball would test fourth-ranked Southwest Minnesota State on Saturday afternoon, but the vaunted Mustangs proved to be too much for the Dragons. The home club defeated MSUM in straight sets.
The first frame would see Southwest Minnesota State showcase why they are nationall ranked and unblemished so far in 2024. The Mustangs raced out to a 9-1 lead early in the frame. MSUM would be able to whittle that advantage down to five points (12-7) after a kill from
Abby Thompson followed by a Mustang error. However, Southwest Minnesota State would continue to stretch the lead throughout the set, building an advantage as large as 10 points late in the frame (20-10). A kill from
Brielle Riess and another from Thompson would cut the Mustang lead to eight points. However, Southwest Minnesota State would eventually hang on for a 25-15 set win. In the first set, SMSU hit for a whopping .417 mark.
The Dragons would be undeterred by the first set score as they would match the Mustangs at every turn to begin the second frame. A service ace from
Annalise Wilson would pull MSUM to within two points (10-8). Southwest Minnesota State would stretch their lead back out to five points shortly thereafter before the Dragons opted to respond. A kill from
Raiah Mandell began a mini run that culminated in a service ace from
Emily Ramsay. The ace pulled the count to within one with SMSU leading 16-15. MSUM would continually come to within one point as the set pressed on. A kill from Ramsay late in the frame made the score 21-20 in favor of the Mustangs. Thompson and Mandell would team up for a block assist, but the home team would button up the set with back-to-back points.
Kills from Mandell and Pfeifer would help MSUM gather its first lead of the afternoon with a 4-1 score. Eventually, SMSU would respond enough to tie the game at five points. Another ace from Wilson would keep the Dragons in front by three points nearing the midway point of the frame (10-7). Again, the Mustangs would knot the score at 12 points and would push in front thanks to a 5-0 run. The Mustang lead would eventually grow as large as four points (19-14) before Pfeifer stamped out a Mustang run with a kill. The Dragons would come as close as one point late in the set before Southwest Minnesota State closed up the match with four straight points.
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Up Next
MSUM (5-6, 0-3 NSIC) will return to Moorhead for a pair of matches over the next week. The Dragons are scheduled to host Minnesota State on Saturday, October 5 beginning at 2 p.m.
