BOX SCORE

DENVER, Colo. – No. 10 Southwest Minnesota State defeated No. 12 Metro State in four sets by scores of 26-24, 25-12, 22-25 and 25-20. SMSU is now 6-0 on the season and is having one of the best starts in school history. The last SMSU volleyball team to go 6-0 was the 2004 team. The 1978 season SMSU started 5-0. Metro State drops to 3-2 on the season.

The first set saw the Mustangs and Roadrunners trading points throughout the whole set. The score was tied 19-19 and SMSU had the serve. The Mustangs went on to take a 21-19 point lead. Metro State fought back and took a 23-24 lead.

Devin Diedrich stepped up big for the Mustangs and tied the score at 24-24 and eventually put SMSU up 25-24 and at match point with a big kill. SMSU and Metro got into a big rally and the Mustangs won on a quirky dig by Kenzie Niesche. Niesche stuck one arm out and reached for a ball and sent it over the net. The ball landed on Metro State's side of the court for a 26-24 win for SMSU.

The Mustangs had three players with double-digits in kills. Diedrich (16), Brooke Burmeister (15) and Mary Groth (13) led the offensive attack for Southwest Minnesota State.

Freshman Rachel Westby led the Mustangs on 10-point run in the second set. She started the run with two aces and served the Mustangs to eight more points before giving up the ball. Southwest Minnesota State ran away with the set winning 25-12.

The Mustangs saw its 12 consecutive set winning streak come to an end in the third set this afternoon. The set went down to the wire just like the first, and the Mustangs fell 22-25.

Cara Carson recorded 45 assists this evening, setting up her hitters for success.

SMSU started the fourth set up 2-0 on a block assist by Diedrich and Burmeister. On the next play Burmeister nearly knocked the Metro State defender over with a tough kill. Metro fought back hard in the final set of the match. Abby Meyers came up with a few big kills in the third set and finished the match with nine kills. The Mustangs won the final set 25-20.

Southwest Minnesota State will play No. 2 University of Tampa at 10:30 a.m. CDT tomorrow morning.