Box Score

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. – Devin Diedrich and Mary Groth combined for 33 kills to lead the No. 8-ranked Southwest Minnesota State volleyball team to a 3-1 (25-12, 18-25, 25-19, 25-16) victory over Missouri Western State Friday morning at the Augustana/SpringHill Suites Invitational in Sioux Falls, S.D.

The win was a season-opening one for the Mustangs. MWSU drops to 0-1.

The Diedrich-Groth tandem was the driving force behind a 55-kill outing for SMSU. Three others had at least five kills. Diedrich's performance tied her for a career best.

Sara Graf dished out a match-high 47 assists in the contest.

A trio of Mustangs clipped double figures in the digs column as Kenzie Neische finished with 16, Crissi Schewe with 14 and Tomomi Sakurai with 13.

Shewe christened her collegiate career by serving seven straight points in the opening set, a run that allowed the Mustangs to erase a multi-point deficit. From there the Mustangs mostly cruised to the set one win, easily handling the Griffons 25-11. Diedrich roughed up MWSU with five kills in the set.

MWSU established and nursed a marginal lead into midway through set two before stretching that advantage to as many as seven to close and win the set.

In the third set, the two squads exchanged leads before the Mustangs finally broke away and took a three-point advantage and rode it to a 25-19 set victory. A Diedrich block and kill closed the set for SMSU. Graf kept Griffon defenders in check with a flurry of dumps weaved into her setter play.

Behind the punishing hitting of Diedrich and Groth, the Mustangs surged late in the fourth and final set to win 25-16. Graf aced the final serve to seal the match victory.

The Mustangs were strong at the net, outblocking the Griffons 7-2. Diedrich anchored that effort with six blocks of her own.

Spotty serving was an issue for SMSU throughout as the Mustangs committed 10 service errors.

SMSU continues play this today at 5 p.m. against Chadron State (Neb.).