BOX SCORE

DENVER, Colo. – No. 6 Southwest Minnesota State's redshirt freshman Ellen Degler had a career-high eight kills in a 3-1 (25-20, 17-25, 25-20, 25-16) win over West Florida at the Colorado Premier Challenge on Saturday afternoon in Denver, Colo. SMSU improves to 5-2 with the win while West Florida falls to 2-5 on the season.

Degler also set career-marks with 15 digs, and a .615 attack percentage in the match. Brooke Burmeister led all players in the match with 17 kills, recording her third double-double of the season pitching in 11 digs.

Freshman middle blocker Alyssa Taylor helped the Mustangs pull away in the first set with three consecutive kills to give SMSU a 9-6 lead. Taylor finished the match with a career-high eight kills.

SMSU went on multiple runs in the first set jumping out to a large 18-9 lead over West Florida. The Argos rebounded with a three-point run before rallying off a five-point run to pull within two at 22-20 in favor of SMSU. Groth delivered back-to-back kills aiding SMSU's 25-20 first set win. The junior middle finished the first set with five kills.

Southwest Minnesota State led every point until the Argos tied the second set at eight. With the set tied at 12, West Florida pulled away with the lead after an SMSU attack error and never looked back taking set two 25-17.

After hitting .357 as a team in the first set, SMSU dropped off the table with a .097 attack percentage in the second.

SMSU rebounded in the third set taking a 25-20 win and improving from its 0.91 attack percentage in set two hitting .271. Degler came alive in the third set delivering three big kills while also digging up four balls in the set.

The two teams played to 10 tie scores in the third set the final one coming at 19. SMSU went on a four-point run to take a 23-19 lead. Degler gave the Mustangs set point at 24-20 and a West Florida attack error gave SMSU the set three victory.

Southwest Minnesota State never trailed in the final set jumping out to an eight-point 16-8 lead after a five-point rally that included four attack errors by the Argos.

Rachel Westby added her second double-double of the season finishing with 10 kills and 15 digs. Senior libero Brittany Wenzel led SMSU's back row with 24 digs in the match.

Southwest Minnesota State will play in the Silver Bracket Championship match of the Colorado Premier Challenge against No. 16 Seattle Pacific beginning at 6 p.m. CT Saturday.