>Box Score

CROOKSTON, Minn.— No. 8 Southwest Minnesota State needed five sets for the second time this week to take its opponent as the Mustangs inched out Minnesota Crookston Saturday afternoon in the Lysaker Gymnasium by scores of 23-25, 25-22, 20-25, 25-12, 15-13.
 
Eisha Oden was on point in the match as the redshirt freshman led the Mustangs with 16 kills while hitting .286. Kenzie Beekman followed suit and floored 15 kills while Abbey Thissen also contributed 12. Megan Larson recorded her 8th double-double this season as the freshman tallied 12 digs and dished out 47 assists. Whitney Burmeister paved the defense recording 26 digs in the match.
 
SMSU (19-7, 14-4 NSIC) hit .171 in the match and put up 12 total team blocks. Sarah Parker led the Mustangs with seven total. UMC (11-15, 5-13 NSIC) hit .131 in the match and tallied 18 total team blocks.
 
Southwest Minnesota State flew out to a quick 5-0 led in the opening set but could not hold on. Minnesota Crookston fought back to tie the game at 13-13. Both teams traded points back-and-forth as there was a match-high six tie scores and one lead change. That lead change came at 17-16 to give UMC the go-ahead but SMSU tried to take it back but came up short despite pulling within a point on set point. The Golden Eagles took set one, 25-23.
 
In the following set, SMSU again took an early lead reaching out to a 11-5 score before UMC retaliated with a five point streak to pull with in one. But Southwest Minnesota State came back with a five-point streak itself from kills by Oden and Beekman to regain a six-point lead. SMSU held control the rest of set and closed it, 25-22 to even the match at a game apiece.
 
After the break, UMC took control in the beginning of the set and did not look back. The Golden Eagles hit a game-high .286 in the set while SMSU hit a game-low .081. Minnesota Crookston took the set, 25-20 and lead the match lead going into the fourth.
 
The Mustangs turned the tables as they dominated in the fourth set. SMSU led the set 16-5 at one point before closing off the performance, 25-12. Southwest Minnesota State hit an outstanding .480 in the set.
 
In the final frame, Minnesota Crookston was all business as the Golden Eagles took an early 6-0 led but that did not seem to faze the Mustangs as they charged back with a 8-2 run to tied the set up but then continued on to take the lead 10-8. UMC reacted with a pair of points itself to tie it back up at 10-10. Megan Larson and Sarah Parker recorded a kill to give SMSU the lead once again but not until the Golden Eagle tied it back up 13-13. Kenzie Beekman and Eisha Oden finally put an end to it with a kill from each to close the set and match, 15-13.
 
Southwest Minnesota State will return to the PE Gym to play St. Cloud State for its senior night on Friday, Nov. 7 at 7 p.m. The Mustangs will then host Minneosta Duluth on Saturday in their final match of the regular season at 4 p.m.