>Box Score

SIOUX FALLS, S.D.— No. 8 Southwest Minnesota State needed five-sets to take down Sioux Falls tonight in the Stewart Center as the Mustangs came back from a two-game deficit to defeat the Cougars by scores of 23-25, 21-25, 25-19, 25-22, 15-12.

Kenzie Beekman paved the way for the Mustangs with 16 kills while Eisha Oden topped the list with a .448 hitting percentage including 14 kills and eight blocks. Abbey Thissen contributed 13 kills as well in the match. Megan Larson tallied her seventh double-double as the freshman dished out a career-high 49 assists to power the Mustangs including 11 digs. Whitney Burmeister led with 20 digs on the night.
 
SMSU (17-7, 12-4 NSIC) hit only .187 in the match while USF (14-12, 8-8 NSIC) hit .173.
 
SMSU started the first set on a 5-0 run and moved its lead to 10-5 before USF went on a 7-2 run to tie the set up at 12 apiece. Both teams traded points and fought to the finish. Sioux Falls inched out Southwest Minnesota State and took set one, 25-23.
 
In set two, SMSU started on a run before USF tied it up, 5-5. Southwest Minnesota State took and held the lead until Sioux Falls tied it back up at 12-12. The Cougars went on to control the set despite the Mustangs tying it back up at 20-20. Sioux Falls closed the set, 25-21.
 
The third set was a battle, as there was a game-high 15 tie scores and five lead changes in the set. Both teams traded points as both teams were knotted up at 16-16. SMSU then took the lead back scoring seven straight points to put the Mustangs in the lead 23-16 going into a Sioux Falls timeout. After the timeout, SMSU earned set point and USF tallied a pair of points to try and pull off the sweep. But an attack error by Sioux Falls led Southwest Minnesota State to take the set, 25-19.
 
After intermission, both teams again traded points as the score was tied at 18-18. SMSU took the lead with a trio of points and took the set 25-22 to even the match up at 2-2.
 
Just like the first two sets, SMSU charged out to a 5-1 lead but USF retaliated and tied the set up 6-6. Sioux Falls took the lead 10-7 at one point but the Mustangs didn't falter as they went on a 7-1 run to earn set point. Kenzie Beekman finished the comeback with a kill to take the set and match, 15-12.
 
Southwest Minnesota State will travel to Bemidji State on Friday to play at 7 p.m. before facing Minnesota Crookston the following afternoon at 4 p.m.