>Box Score

WAYNE, Neb. — Abbey Thissen earned 18 kills, and in the process became the 12th player in program history to reach 1,000 career kills, to help lead Southwest Minnesota State to a 3-1 victory over No. 12 Wayne State Tuesday night. Thissen now has a total of 1,003 career kills in her three-year career.

SMSU (14-5, 9-2 NSIC) defeated Wayne State (16-3, 9-2 NSIC) by scores of 25-27, 25-21, 25-21, 25-22.
 
Abbey Thissen totaled 18 kills while hitting .262 in the four-set match. Kenzie Beekman earned her seventh double-double as she tallied 18 kills and 17 digs while hitting .283. Eisha Oden led the Mustangs in hitting percentage as she posted a .379 average along with 15 kills and a team-high eight blocks. Sarah Parker also contributed nine kills while hitting .364 on the night despite hitting only .265 as a team.
 
Whitney Burmeister had 23 digs in the match. Megan Larson finished with 35 assist along with 16 digs for her fourth double-double of the season. Emilee Gutzmer also dished out 21 assists in the match.
 
Wayne State hit .160 and put up 11 blocks as a team compared SMSU hitting .265 and eight total blocks.
 
The Mustangs and Wildcats traded points in the start of the first set, as the score was 4-4 until SMSU took three straight points to take the lead. The Mustangs held the lead late into the set leading 21-16 at one point. The Mustangs went on to put the score to match point at 24-19 but a strong charge by Wayne State tied it at 24-24. Southwest Minnesota State again had set point at 25-24 but WSC came back with three straight points to take the first set, 27-25.
 
The second set the Wildcats held the early lead until the Mustangs tied it at 8-8. SMSU held the lead despite WSC tying the set at 17-17. Southwest Minnesota State held control and finished the set off, 25-21.
 
After intermission, Wayne State again took an early 10-6 lead but SMSU would not back down. Five straight points gave the Mustangs an 11-10 lead. The Wildcats would try and retaliate and would tie it back up at 14-14 but kills from Kenzie Beekman, Abbey Thissen and Sarah Parker would give the Mustangs back the lead. SMSU went on to close set three, 25-21. There were a match-high six tie scores and four lead changes in the set.
 
In the fourth set, Wayne State would again take the early lead. But after a SMSU timeout, the Mustangs would go on a 9-1 scoring streak to go up 13-9. The Wildcats would not give up late in the set as WSC pulled with in one late in the set but Oden and Thissen put the game away with back-to-back kills to close the set out 25-22.
 
Southwest Minnesota State is back in action this weekend as it travels to Upper Iowa and Winona State.