BOX SCORE
PHOTO GALLERY - Greg Devereaux Photography

MARSHALL, Minn. – No. 8 Southwest Minnesota State (7-2, 1-0 NSIC) began Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference play on Tuesday night with a sweep (25-15, 25-21, 25-16) over Upper Iowa (6-4, 0-1 NSIC). The Mustangs finished the match with a .261 attack percentage while holding the Peacocks to a.064 attack percentage cruising to a 3-0 win.

Mary Groth led all players with 14 kills in the match while Brooke Burmeister followed her lead with 13 kills of her own. Nicky Brown led the Peacocks in kills with 12 kills in 31 attempts, while committing nine errors. She also led Upper Iowa with 12 digs in the match.

Southwest Minnesota State got its blocking game going early on in the match finishing with 10 total team blocks. Senior setter Cara Carson finished the match with six block assists and Groth added one solo block and four block assists up front.

The Mustangs began the match on a roll going on an early six-point run to take a 10-3 lead over the Peacocks. Groth paced the Mustangs in the first set with four kills while freshman middle blocker Alyssa Taylor added four. Taylor also added five block assists in the match.

The Peacocks charged back in the second set to make things interesting. After the Mustangs jumped out to a 10-5 lead, Upper Iowa went on a four-point swing to come within one at 10-9. The Peacocks would tie the score twice in the second set. The match saw just three tie scores and three lead changes, with SMSU coming out on top 25-21.

After going down by a point to start the match, the Mustangs rallied off four straight points behind the serve of Ellen Degler. That was the last time the match would see a tie score as the Mustangs would roll to a 25-16 third set win to gain the sweep over Upper Iowa.

Southwest Minnesota State will continue NSIC play on Saturday, Sept. 17, going on the road to take on No. 15 Minnesota State, Mankato beginning at 4 p.m. at the Taylor Center in Mankato, Minn.