BOX SCORE

KEARNEY, NEB. – No. 9 Southwest Minnesota State, the fifth seed in the NCAA Central Region Tournament, used a balanced offensive attack to defeat fourth-seeded and 12th-ranked Metro State (Colo.) 25-19, 28-26, 25-22 on Thursday evening in Kearney, Neb. SMSU advances to the Central Region semifinals for the fifth time in school history.

SMSU will play the winner of the Nebraska-Kearney and Colorado School of Mines match which is set to begin at 7:30 p.m. tonight. 

The Mustangs improve to 24-6 on the season while Metro State saw its season come to an end, finishing the year 24-7.

Freshman middle blocker Alyssa Taylor led the Mustangs with 16 kills in the match. Mary Groth and Brooke Burmeister each added 13 kills for SMSU.

The Roadrunners were led by senior outside hitter, and RMAC Player of the Year, Bri Morleay who led all players with 20 kills in the match. She was the only Roadrunner to reach double-digits in kills.

SMSU had a hot hand to start the first set, taking 11 of the first 14 points of the set and an 11-3 lead. Metro State recovered to gain the next four points coming within four points at 11-7. The Mustangs would stretch its lead to 19-10 following a four-point run for the Mustangs.

SMSU took a 21-13 lead in the set before another three-point run by the Roadrunners, including two straight kills by Morley. Two of SMSU's final four points in the set came on serve errors by Metro State, and the Mustangs would take the first set 25-19.

The Mustangs were able to take another early lead in the second set, going up by a score of 11-5. Metro State was able to put together a seven-point run to take a 12-11 lead over the Mustangs. Morley provided four kills for the Roadrunners fueling Metro State's comeback.

From that point on, the two teams would trade points for the remainder of the set. No team held a lead larger than two points before the Mustangs set themselves up with set point at 24-23. Metro State grabbed the next two points on a kill by Causseaux and a Roadrunner block.

After back-to-back kills by Taylor SMSU had set point at 26-25 but a kill by Greenhalgh tied the match up at 26 each. Taylor and Westby teamed up for a block assist and Groth drilled her sixth kill of the match to give SMSU a 28-26 second set victory.

SMSU once again started off the set strong. The Mustangs jumped out to a six-point lead at 11-5. During a four-point run to begin the set, the Mustangs benefitted from four Metro State errors. SMSU would push its lead to 17-10 after a back-to-back kills by Groth and Taylor.

Metro State looked poised to make a comeback in the third set grabbing the next three points to make the score 17-14 in SMSU's favor. Taylor answered back to push SMSU's lead to eight, connecting on three straight kills.

The Roadrunners would not go away taking seven of the next nine points to come within two at 24-22 SMSU. It took the Mustangs six tries, but SMSU was able to come away with the set and the match on a sneak kill by Cara Carson.

Carson finished the match with 43 set assists and 16 digs. Brittany Wenzel led SMSU defensively with 22 digs. Metro State badly out-blocked the Mustangs 12 to 3, led by Shayne Kovach who finished with six block assists. Ngoc Phan, the RMAC Libero of the Year, led the Roadrunners with 22 digs.

Southwest Minnesota State is scheduled to take on the winner of the Nebraska-Kearney Colorado School of Mines match at 7:30 p.m. Friday night in Kearney, Neb.