DULUTH, Minn. – Minnesota State Moorhead volleyball invaded the North Shore on Tuesday evening, scoring an impressive ranked victory. The Dragons took down 19th-ranked Minnesota Duluth in five sets behind stout defense and an efficient attack.
Moorhead came out swinging and never backed down, knocking off the Bulldogs by set scores of 25-12, 15-25, 25-21, 23-25 and 15-12. The victory is MSUM's first over a ranked opponent since October 27, 2017. Coincidentally, that match was also a five-set thriller with the Bulldogs.
The Dragons wasted little time making their presence felt in the opening set. MSUM dominated from the start, capitalizing on 11 UMD attack errors while limiting the Bulldogs to just five kills. The result? A commanding 25-12 win and an early statement from the visitors.
UMD responded with a powerful second set, hitting .536 to even the match. However, the Dragons had plenty of fight left. MSUM regained control in the third, using a balanced offensive attack to take a 2-1 lead with a 25-21 victory.
The Bulldogs forced a deciding fifth set by edging out a 25-23 win in the fourth, setting the stage for a dramatic finish. With the match on the line, the Dragons delivered. MSUM hit an impressive .391 in the final frame, recording 10 kills and just one attack error to close out the 15-12 victory. Mya Pfeifer stamped the match-sealing kill.
Pfeifer led the Dragons with 12 kills, hitting .391, while adding five blocks for a team-high 15 points. Raiah Mandell chipped in 11 kills, and Brielle Riess added 10 as three Dragons reached double figures in kills.
The Dragons also made life difficult at the net, collecting nine blocks compared to four for UMD. Pfeifer led the way with five blocks, while Ava Wild and Leah Laqua each added four. As a unit, Moorhead had 16 block assists in the match.
Madi Colby and Brooke Gillingham shared the setting duties, recording 23 and 22 assists, respectively. Maci Martini and Ellie Keuseman anchored the back row with 12 digs apiece, helping MSUM withstand Minnesota Duluth's late push. Martini pushed her career total to 974 digs in the Dragon conquest. MSUM also finished with five service aces.
Up Next
MSUM (12-13, 5-11 NSIC) is back to the road this weekend as they travel into North Dakota. The weekend begins against UMary on Friday at 6 p.m.
