MANKATO, Minn. – MSU Moorhead volleyball would rebound from a tough first day at the Maverick Invite to claim a pair of wins against Truman State and Parkside on Saturday.
The Dragons dominated the early morning contest against Truman State, winning in three sets. MSUM would conclude its tournament with a four-set win over Parkside.
Dragons 3, Bulldogs 0
Set Scores: 25-9, 25-20, 25-13
MSUM would jump out in front with a quick burst of offense, building an 8-2 advantage.
Annalise Wilson would kick off the game with a service ace followed by a kill from
Abby Thompson. The senior Thompson,
Halle Erickson and
Emily Ramsay would slam down additional kills to guide the Dragons to a quick, big lead. The Dragons would only continue their string of success, stretching their lead out to nine points (16-7) thanks to kills from Ramsay,
Raiah Mandell,
Brielle Riess and
Mya Pfeifer.
Later on in the first set, MSUM would score seven straight points to lead by a convincing count of 23-8. Riess, Thompson and Erickson chipped in kills during the 7-0 run. The Dragons would eventually clinch a set win by a 25-9 count. MSUM had an impressive .485 hitting percentage in the first set compared to Truman State's .000 clip.
MSUM would again race out to an early lead in the second set, creating a 10-5 advantage thanks to three early kills from Mandell. While Truman State would hit for a more effective clip in the frame, the Dragons would continue to hold the scoreboard midway through the set behind another kill from Thompson. A Pfeifer kill helped give MSUM a 17-13 lead. Ramsay would notch a kill and a service ace as part of a 4-0 Dragon run to push that score to 21-16.
The Bulldogs would cut the Dragon lead to three points late in the set (22-19) but kills from Ramsay and Thompson would help MSUM to another set victory. MSUM would build another large lead to begin a deciding third set, jumping in front by eight points (12-4). Five different Dragons collected kills in the 12-4 run to go along with an
Amanda Lisi service ace.
MSUM's dominance over the match only proceeded as the score would eventually reach a 17-7 count following another service ace from Wilson. The Bulldogs would come as close as eight points throughout the remainder of the set, but MSUM's efficient offensive attack proved too potent on this Saturday morning. Thompson led the Dragons with 12 kills as MSUM finished the contest with a .376 hitting percentage. It is the highest hitting mark for the Dragons in a single game since September 12, 2015, against Black Hills State (also .376).
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Dragons 3, Rangers 1
Set Scores: 25-23, 13-25, 25-2, 25-19
Both squads would begin the match at a relatively even pace with the teams gridlocked at nine points early on. The back and forth would continue into the midway portion of the set as a kill from Ramsay evened the score at 15 points. The Dragons would race out to a 20-16 lead from there thanks to a 5-1 burst as Riess, Ramsay and Mandell all earned kills.
Kiara Olesch also downed a service ace in the sequence.
Parkside would then even the score at 20 points with a surge of their own. The Rangers would command a 23-22 lead late in the set before MSUM put its finishing touches on the frame. A 3-0 Dragon run, headlined by kills from Thompson and Ramsay, would clinch the set for MSUM.
The visitors on the scoreboard would jump up 5-1 to start the second set, eventually stretching that lead to five points (8-3). The Rangers would fully control the frame as they would not relinquish the advantage throughout. MSUM hit for just a .154 hitting clip in the frame with Parkside winning 25-13.
Following the disappointing set, MSUM would regroup in a pivotal third set, creating a 13-6 lead behind an 8-0 run. Riess would pace the Dragons in the flurry with a kill and an astonishing four service aces. A pair of kills from Erickson would keep the Dragons churning as they now led 17-7, forcing a Ranger timeout. Eventually, MSUM would lead 20-9 after another kill from Riess. The Dragons would lead 23-16 before Parkside made one final run, bringing the count as close as four points (24-20). A Ranger attack error capped another set win for the Dragons.
Ruby Bones would get in on the fun to begin the fourth set as she would give the Dragons the first point on a kill from Lisi. Bones would strike again later in the set with another kill to keep the Dragon lead at two points (10-8). Kills from Ramsay and Erickson would keep the Dragons up 14-10. Ramsay would hit back-to-back kills to go along with a pair from Wilson to make the score 18-15. A massive block assist from Bones and Mandell would bring MSUM a point closer to victory, 19-15.
As Parkside began to stir, cutting the Dragon lead to two points (19-17), MSUM would take a timeout to regroup. The strategy worked as the Dragons would come out of the break on a 4-0 run led by kills from Ramsay and Riess. MSUM would hang on to sweep the day with a 25-19 set win.
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Up Next
MSUM (2-2) will now travel to compete in the Maverick Fall Classic, hosted by Colorado Mesa University. The tournament is scheduled to begin for the Dragons on Thursday, September 12 in a 6 p.m. match with Cal State Dominguez Hills. All games will take place in Grand Junction, Colo.
