MOORHEAD, Minn. -- Minnesota State Moorhead volleyball used a complete effort to rally back and grab a reverse sweep victory over the University of Jamestown on Friday night. The Dragons tallied 10 service aces as well as 16 total blocks to claim the match in five sets.
It is Moorhead's first reverse sweep win in NSIC play since October 30, 2015, a five-set win over then 20th-ranked Augustana.
While the Dragons would jump in front 14-12 in the first set of action, it was Jamestown who held much of the energy in the early going. The Jimmies would hit on a 4-0 run to take a 16-14 lead midway through the stanza. However, Moorhead would respond with three straight points led by a block solo from
Leah Laqua, the first of four on the night for the sophomore. Jamestown would answer right back, grabbing a 21-18 lead as the set neared a conclusion. MSUM would get to within two points (23-21) before the Jimmies claimed the frame, 25-21.
After the first set loss, the Dragons would look revitalized to open the second frame, gaining a 10-7 lead after back-to-back kills from
Maci Martini. The junior was stellar all evening, tallying a double-double of 16 kills and 12 digs as well as five service aces. The teams would eventually work towards a 15-15 tie before MSUM capitalized on a pair of Jimmie errors to lead 21-17. Jamestown would surge from there, scoring eight of the set's last 10 points to win the stanza, 25-23. Through two sets, Jamestown had nine service aces.
Needing a big bounce back effort in the third set, Moorhead would deliver, striking on a 6-0 run to take a 14-10 lead. Martini had two kills in the tempest with
Raiah Mandell stamping a point as well. The Jimmies would pull the count to within one point (14-13) not long after before the Dragons erupted again, scoring on eight of nine rallies to lead 22-14. Martini would earn an ace in the stretch that was dominated by Laqua, who slammed down three kills and a block solo. Laqua and
Brielle Riess would get the Dragons to set point before
Annalise Wilson clinched the frame with her now patented set dump kill. Moorhead grabbed the set, 25-16.
More of the same would occur for the home team in the fourth set with momentum firmly with the Dragons. Moorhead would jump up by eight points (11-3) to begin the set. Riess had three kills in the stretch with Martini scoring back-to-back aces. MSUM would completely own the frame, eventually building a lead of 16 points (23-7) thanks to a stellar combination of offense and defense.
Emily McPhee would step behind the service line and help guide Moorhead to six straight points in the run, led by a massive block assist from
Jocelin Feutz and
Kate Halvorson. Riess and Halvorson would team up for another block not long after to keep the Dragons humming. MSUM won the set 25-11 after a kill from Mandell.
In the deciding fifth set, Moorhead would lead 5-2 thanks to a kill from Martini and an ace from
Jadyn Feist. The senior was pivotal for the Dragons, tallying a career-high 28 digs. From there, Feutz would go on a heater, firing off three kills to keep the Dragons in front, 8-5. After kills from Riess, Martini and Mandell, MSUM would land at set point after a thunderous block solo from Halvorson. On the ensuing rally, Martini would nail her 16th kill on an assist from
Madi Colby, her 32nd of the evening (and a new career high). The kill clinched the contest for the Dragons with the 15-11 set five victory. Moorhead ended the match with 10 block solos, just four shy of the single-game school record.
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MSUM (9-5, 3-3 NSIC) will look to carry tonight's momentum into a 3:30 p.m. match against 24th-ranked Northern State tomorrow afternoon.
