Box Score

COLORADO SPRINGS, COLO.:  In a match-up of two top 25 teams, No. 16 Southwest Minnesota State used a balanced hitting attack to sweep No. 8 Minnesota Duluth 3-0 (27-25, 25-22, 25-21) at the Colorado-Colorado Springs Classic Saturday morning.

The Mustangs improve to 6-1; the Bulldogs drop to 5-2.

Senior Kasey Loeslie led SMSU with a match-high 13 kills, while freshman Devin Diedrich also got in on the act, recording a career-high 12 kills.

The Mustangs had five hitters with at least five kills.

Junior setter Sara Graf had another solid match, coming in with 37 assists.  She also led SMSU with four blocks.

Senior Sarah Quiram, playing her third match this season at libero, led the Mustangs' defensive effort with a match-high 15 digs.

SMSU found itself trailing by as many as eight midway through the first set, but but the Mustangs rallied to take the set to a 27-25 decision.  The Mustangs picked up where they left off to start the second set, building themselves as much as a six point lead en route to the set victory.

The third set became a back and forth battle; with the set tied at 20-20, SMSU used solid serving in the final points to pull away.  Loeslie nailed home two kills in the final five points of the set.

Although Minnesota Duluth is an NSIC team, Saturday morning's contest did not count as a conference match.  The win, however, will count and bode well for the Mustangs in their regional ranking.

The Mustangs play their last game at the Colorado-Colorado Springs Classic Saturday afternoon at 2:30 p.m. MST against Adams State (Colo.).