BOX SCORE

MOORHEAD, Minn. – No. 5 Southwest Minnesota State needed four sets to defeat MSU Moorhead in Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference volleyball action 25-27, 28-26, 25-22 and 25-23. The Mustangs improve to 22-3 overall and 14-2 in the NSIC while MSU Moorhead falls to 12-12, 8-8 NSIC.

Devin Diedrich led the Mustangs with 22 kills. The junior also finished the match with two solo blocks and five block assists. Brooke Burmeister 19 kills for SMSU and Mary Groth followed that performance with 18 kills of her own. The three hitters accounted for 59 of SMSU's 71 kills in the match.

The Mustangs and the Dragons traded points the entire first set with neither team leading by more than three points the entire set. The Mustangs gained set point at 24-23 but allowed the Dragons to tie the score, SMSU got the next point but MSUM would take the next three and the first set 27-25.

Not much changed in the second set. The two teams would trade points once again with SMSU eventually needing extra points to win the second set 28-26. Diedrich put an end to the second set with her eighth kill of the match. The Mustangs and the Dragons both had six team blocks after the second set. Diedrich had two solo and two block assists after the second set.

After falling behind 4-1 the Mustangs fired back with eight straight points behind the serve of Cara Carson. Carson picked up two service aces during the stretch while Burmeister tallied three kills and Diedrich picked up two giving the Mustangs a 9-4 lead.

Carson finished the match with 59 set assists, 14 digs and two service aces. Kenzie Niesche led the Mustangs with 23 digs and Rachel Westby finished with 11 digs and four kills.

With the help of a late four point run at 20-20 SMSU would take a 24-20 lead on back-to-back aces by Brittany Wenzel. The Mustangs won the third set 25-22.

The Mustangs came out firing in the fourth set earning seven straight points and an 11-4 lead over the Dragons. MSU Moorhead kept coming back in the fourth set eventually tying the score 18-18. In a match that saw 33 tie scores and 14 lead changes the Mustangs came out victorious in the fourth set 25-23 and the match 3-1.

Southwest Minnesota State will continue NSIC play against the University of Mary on Friday, Nov. 5 at 7 p.m. The Mustangs will then head to Aberdeen, S.D. to take on Northern State at 5 p.m. on Saturday.