Box Score

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. – No. 8 Southwest Minnesota State got at least eight kills from four different players to roll past Regis (Colo.) 3-0 (25-17, 25-17, 25-17) Saturday morning at the Augustana/SpringHill Suites Invitational in Sioux Falls, S.D.

SMSU stays perfect on the season, moving to 3-0, while RU drops to 2-2.

The balanced offensive effort was led by Devin Diedrich, who notched a match-high 11 kills. Mary Groth, Brooke Burmeister and Crissi Schewe had 10, 9 and 8 kills, respectively. Groth has been the poster child for efficiency thus far, hitting .421 after a .500 performance last night against Chadron State (Neb.).

Sara Graf quarterbacked the quartet of spikers and finished with a match-high 35 assists.

Libero Kenzie Niesche again shored up SMSU's back row, finishing with a match-high 18 digs. Schewe dug up 11 of her own for her second straight double-figure dig match.

Groth and Diedrich teamed up for 11 kills in the opening set, allowing the Mustangs to go on a 6-1 run and take a 17-9 lead. A Groth kill at 24-17 closed the set for SMSU. Schewe and Burmeister filled out a hard-hitting performance by the Mustangs with three kills each.

Grabbing leads by as many as five early in the second set, SMSU looked to be making an easy run at RU, but the Rangers had other ideas as they charged back to within one point at 16-15. Poor serving, however, by RU proved fatal; the Mustangs charged back themselves and allowed the Rangers to score just two more points in what turned out to be a decisive 25-17 set victory for SMSU.

A third-set slump loomed for the Mustangs; RU had silenced any attempt at a SMSU breakaway until late when the Mustangs took advantage of couple botched serves by the Rangers and struck with a small surge. A Diedrich solo block and service ace by Neische paired with a Ranger hitting error closed the set and match for the Mustangs.

SMSU's .284 hitting performance peaked in the opening set when the Mustangs checked in with a .342 mark in the category

Maggie Workman's eight kills led RU. Devin Eckhardt had 24 assists for the Rangers.

For the first time this weekend, the Mustangs were not forced to a third set after winning the opening two.

SMSU will finish play in Sioux Falls today at 3 p.m. when the Mustangs take on Northern State.