MOORHEAD, Minn. – Minnesota State Moorhead volleyball faced a tough challenge on Friday evening, falling to eighth-ranked Concordia-St. Paul in straight sets at Alex Nemzek Fieldhouse.
The Golden Bears claimed the match by scores of 25-19, 25-17 and 25-11, improving to 13-4 overall and 8-2 in Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference play. The Dragons dropped to 10-9 overall and 3-7 in conference action.
MSUM kept pace with Concordia-St. Paul early in the opening set, recording 13 kills while hitting .294. However, the Golden Bears countered with 18 kills and a .361 hitting percentage to take the first frame, 25-19.
Concordia-St. Paul continued to find success offensively in the second set, while the Dragons struggled to maintain their rhythm. The Golden Bears finished the frame with 16 kills and a .295 hitting percentage, taking the set 25-17.
The visitors closed out the match in the third set, hitting .367 while limiting MSUM to eight kills. Concordia-St. Paul secured the 25-11 victory to complete the sweep.
Senior outside hitter Raiah Mandell led the Dragons with 10 kills, while Ava Wild added seven kills and Mya Pfeifer contributed six. Pfeifer was particularly efficient offensively, recording her six kills on nine attempts without an error.
Madi Colby paced the MSUM offense with 14 assists, while Brooke Gillingham added 13. Kiara Olesch led the defensive effort with 10 digs, and Miracle Jensen chipped in nine digs.
Concordia-St. Paul finished with a .336 hitting percentage and held a 48-31 advantage in kills. The Golden Bears also recorded nine total blocks compared to two for the Dragons.
Up Next
MSUM (10-9, 3-7 NSIC) will look to bounce back on Saturday when it hosts Winona State at 3:30 p.m. for the conclusion of Homecoming weekend.
