BOX SCORE

MARSHALL, Minn. - The No. 4 Southwest Minnesota State volleyball team defeated St. Cloud State in an NSIC match tonight in straight sets by scores of 25-19, 25-13 and 25-20. The Mustangs improve to 10-1, 3-0 NSIC while the Huskies drop to 7-4, 2-1 NSIC.

Devin Diedrich led the Mustangs with 19 kills in the match. The junior ended the match two kills shy of reaching the 1,000 career-kill mark. Diedrich hit extremely well tonight finishing with a .621 hitting percentage. Mary Groth had a .423 hitting percentage with 15 kills in the match. 

The Mustangs took care of the Huskies in short matter tonight; the match lasted only one hour and nine minutes. Southwest Minnesota State hit .436 percent in the second set as a team and came away with a big win in the second set by a score of 25-13.

Cara Carson led the Mustangs with 40 assists in tonight's match. She was setting up her hitters with great lanes tonight allowing them to pressure the Huskies defensive players. Carson set-up seven of her teammates with kills in tonight's match. The setter also pitched in 10 digs, and was 3 for 3 hitting tonight, notching three kills for the Mustangs.

Kenzie Niesche also had 10 digs for SMSU. Freshman Rachel Westby led the Mustangs with 11 digs. She also added four assists and one kill in the match.

The Mustangs jumped out to a 4-0 lead early in the third set and never trailed the Huskies in the entire set. Southwest Minnesota State went on to win the final set of the match 25-20.

The Mustangs will pick up NSIC play this weekend against No. 2 Minnesota Duluth on Friday, Sept. 24 at 7 p.m. Southwest Minnesota State will then head over to Bemidji State to take on the Beavers on Saturday, Sept. 25 at 4 p.m.