KINGSVILLE, Texas –Minnesota State Moorhead volleyball finished its trip to Texas on Saturday evening. The Dragons completed the Javelina Volleyball Classic undefeated after topping Montana State Billings in three sets.
After a long day of playing and waiting on Friday, Moorhead needed some time to settle in as the first set commenced. Montana State Billings took an 8-3 lead before the Dragons took charge.
Brielle Riess sparked a four-point burst with a kill, which allowed MSUM to tie the set at 13 points. Riess teamed up with
Leah Laqua on a block assist in the run with
Brooke Gillingham dropping in back-to-back aces as well.
Moorhead would collect its first lead of the set after a spike from
Maci Martini. Leading 21-20 late in the set, MSUM dialed up a set-clinching run.
Ava Wild scored consecutive kills before
Brooke Bowen provided a service for set point. The Dragons earned the 25-20 win thanks to a .289 hitting clip.
The second set opened with the teams trading punches, landing at a 10-point gridlock. MSUM would create some separation thanks to a kill from
Mya Pfeifer and solo block from Laqua. Leading 14-12, Moorhead would score the next seven points, including a pair of kills from
Raiah Mandell and Martini. In all, the Dragons would close the set on a 10-3 scoring burst to win the frame, 25-15. Mandell and Martini combined for five kills and a service ace in the stanza.
Montana State Billings would hold a narrow two-point lead in the third set before the Dragons made another major run. Trailing 9-8, Moorhead rattled off five straight points to create a 13-9 advantage, forcing a Yellow Jacket timeout. Pfeifer would earn a block solo before
Madi Colby earned a service ace. After a kill from Wild, Pfeifer and the fifth-year would team up to cap the run with a block. Moorhead's lead would expand to six points (18-12) after a spike from Laqua.
The Dragons would not look back from there, winning the set 25-16. Gillingham scored consecutive service aces again as part of the match-clinching run. Pfeifer and Martini would team up for a block assist to secure match point for MSUM. Riess led the Dragons with 10 kills while Martini and Wild combined for 15 spikes. Pfeifer tallied four total blocks while the freshman Gillingham dished out 16 assists with four service aces.
Up Next
MSUM (7-2) enters NSIC play next weekend with a pair of matches on the road. The Dragons take on Jamestown on Friday at 6 p.m. before traveling to Northern State for a 3 p.m. match on Saturday.
