Box Score

COLORADO SPRINGS, COLO.:  Laura Hegerle had a team-high15 kills and Sarah Quiram had a match-high 23 digs to lead the No. 16 ranked Southwest Minnesota State volleyball team to a 3-2 (25-19, 22-25, 25-27, 23-25, 15-5) over Adams State (Colo.) at the Colorado-Colorado Springs Classic Saturday night.

The Mustangs improve to 7-1 on the season, while the Grizzlies fall to 3-4.

The senior combo of Hergle and Quiram was the one-two punch SMSU needed to avoid being knocked off by the unranked Grizzles, who were poised to take down another top 25 team after upsetting No. 8 Minnesota Duluth the previous night.

Senior Kasey Loeslie and freshman Devin Diedrich were also in double digits in the kills column, recording 11 and 14 kills, respectively.  Diedrich's output was a career high.

Junior setter Sara Graf had a match-high and season-high 50 assists.  Her combination of off-tempo sets and tips was enough to keep Adams State defenders out of system throughout the match.

SMSU took advantage of Adams State's poor hitting to control the first set, but after falling behind 15-10 in the second set, the Mustangs were unable to close the difference and lost the set by three.

Hegerle and the Mustangs came on strong in the closing moments of the fourth set; the outside hitter had three straight kills to tie the match, but Adams State was able to score the final two points to win the set.

SMSU opened the fifth set on a 12-2 run and carried that momentum to take the final set and the match.

The Mustangs return to action on Friday when they travel to St. Paul, Minn., for the Concordia-St. Paul Classic.