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MARSHALL Minn - Cara Carson recorded a season-high 38 assists and Mary Groth finished with a match-high 12 kills to lead No. 14 Southwest Minnesota State to a 3-0 (25-17, 25-22, 25-11) win over Northern State Friday night in Marshall.  The victory was SMSU's first conference win of the season and snaps a three-match losing skid for the Mustangs.

SMSU improves to 11-5 (1-3 NSIC), while NSU drops to 7-6 (2-3 NSIC).

Carson ran an offense that saw five Mustang hitters record at least six kills.  Devin Diedrich was the only other spiker to make it to double figures as she had 10 on the evening. 

Groth and Diedrich also teamed up at the net defensively as each of the middle blockers had three blocks.

Kenzie Niesche and Tomomi Sakurai# shored up a tough defensive back row for SMSU; the pair combined for 24 digs.  Niesche led all with 13 digs.

The Mustangs broke away from an 11-11 tie in the opening set when Crissi Schewe put down a kill and gave SMSU a lead it would hold for the remainder of the set.  The Mustangs scored the final four points of the set, courtesy of kills from Brooke Burmeister and Groth, to take a 25-17 set victory and move ahead 1-0.

SMSU looked to have the ensuing set comfortably in hand, building a lead as large as 10 midway through.  But the Wolves stormed back, cutting the deficit to two at 22-20 when Stephanie Drake aced her serve.  The Mustangs lasted though, using kills from Burmeister, Groth and Tory Brouwer to retain the set lead and take a 2-0 match advantage.

Using a 10-2 run to open the final set, SMSU's momentum never wavered.  The Mustangs scored 14 of the final 18 points en route to a 14-point set victory.  A sparkling .444 hitting performance from SMSU in that set keyed the decisive win and ensured the sweep.

NSU's offense struggled throughout, compiling just a .050 hitting percentage.  The Wolves failed to get a hitter in double figures in kills; Kelsey Aden finished with a team-high six.

SMSU more than doubled NSU's kills output as the Mustangs lit up 44 balls to the Wolves' 21.

SMSU is back in action tomorrow, hosting Mary in a 3 p.m. conference match.