MOORHEAD, Minn. -- Minnesota State Moorhead volleyball collected its third win in as many games in a Thursday night tilt inside Nemzek Fieldhouse. The Dragons won their 12th game of the season in four sets over Bemidji State.
The 12 wins so far this season is the most since 2015.
Moorhead would see a hot start to the first set as true freshman
Brooke Bowen showed her prowess behind the service line. Bowen collected three consecutive service aces to help build a 7-3 Dragon lead early on. On the attack,
Maci Martini,
Brielle Riess and
Raiah Mandell each stamped kills to keep the Dragons in firm control of the frame, leading 15-8 at the midway point. MSUM held a seven-point advantage later on the in frame (22-15) after another kill from Mandell. Riess would strike another point to get the Dragons to set point, leading 24-16. From there, Bemidji State would attempt to claw back into the stanza, scoring on five straight rallies. A block solo from Riess snuffed out the Beaver rally, securing a 25-21 win for the home team.
The teams would remain close on the scoreboard as the second set commenced with the Dragons holding a narrow two-point lead (9-7). Moorhead would then go on a seven-point streak, led by two kills and a block solo from Mandell. Martini also added in a service ace in the tempest for MSUM. The Dragons would ride the early momentum throughout the set, eventually leading by 12 points after back-to-back aces from
Amanda Lisi. While the Beavers would come as close as nine points, Moorhead sealed the set, 25-13.
Bemidji State would control action for much of the third set with their backs to the wall. The Beavers would stretch out a lead of six points (17-11) before the Dragons began to scratch back. MSUM would trim the deficit to three points (19-16) after a block solo from
Leah Laqua. A rally later, Moorhead would kick off a 4-0 burst to tie the set at 20 points. Martini earned two kills in the flurry while
Mya Pfeifer collected a kill as well. Bemidji State would eventually win the set, 25-23.
It was the Beavers who again took a quick lead to open up an important fourth set, leading 4-1 early. Trailing 7-5, Moorhead would respond with four straight points with back-to-back blocks from Laqua and Martini. After consecutive kills from
Ruby Bones, the Dragons led, 12-9. MSUM extended its lead to five points not long after as Bowen would drop in her fifth service ace of the match. Martini would notch a pair of kills to get the score to 21-18 in favor of the Dragons. After scoring on three straight rallies, Moorhead would be looking at match point up 24-19. Bemidji State would get the score back within two points before a block solo from Mandell clinched the match for the Dragons.
Mandell was exceptional on the attack all evening, tallying 18 kills at a .452 hitting percentage. Laqua was equally as sharp with 13 kills, three blocks and an astronomical .619 hitting clip. Martini would add another double-double to her tally (11 kills, 13 digs) while Lisi also collected a double-double of 20 assists and 13 digs. Bowen was strong behind the service line and in the libero role, marking 20 digs to go along with her five aces.
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Up Next
MSUM (12-6, 6-4 NSIC) hits the road for an NSIC match against 17th-ranked Minnesota Duluth on Saturday at 2 p.m.
