>Box Score

DULUTH, Minn. — The Southwest Minnesota State volleyball team came up short versus Minnesota Duluth in the NSIC/US Bank Tournament semifinal match in the Romano Gymnasium Friday night by scores of 25-22, 25-15, 22-25, 25-21.
 
SMSU (21-9) hit .155 in the match with eight blocks led by Sarah Parker who recorded a solo block and three assists. UMD (30-1) hit .232 on the night with 12 total blocks.
 
Eisha Oden and Kenzie Beekman led the Mustang offense each tallying 12 kills each while Sarah Parker contributed 10 kills. Claire Sames saw the floor again as she posted a team-high .273 with nine kills. Whitney Burmeister led the defense with her 23 digs while Megan Larson dished out 42 assists to power the offense.
 
Both teams started the first set out strong as neither team led more than three points until UMD went ahead 24-20 late. But that led was cut down to 24-22 before UMD's Monica Turner finished the set off, 25-22. 
 
UMD started out the second frame with the lead and kept it the rest of the set. SMSU couldn't string any scoring together as the Mustangs scored just one three-point streak late in the set. UMD took the second set, 25-15 to take a 2-0 match lead.
 
SMSU fought back in the third set as the Mustangs started the set down before tying the set at 9-9 and went on to take their first lead of the match at 11-9.  UMD tied it back up at 13-13 and went on to retake the lead. SMSU battled back to tied it back up at 18-18 and went on to take the lead once again to 21-18. SMSU kept the momentum and avoided the sweep and on its way to a 25-22 win to force a fourth set.
 
Minnesota Duluth charged out to a 5-1 lead in the fourth but not before SMSU put together a six-point scoring streak to take the lead, 12-10. UMD would not quit as the Bulldogs came out of a timeout to take the next six points themselves and to retake the lead 16-12. SMSU tried to catch up pulling within a point late, but couldn't find the floor and dropped the fourth set, 25-21.
 
The Southwest Minnesota State University volleyball team is ranked No. 4 in the NCAA Division II Central Region ranking, which puts them in play for a bid for the NCAA DII Volleyball Tournament. SMSU has made the NCAA torunament the last 10 years.
 
The complete NCAA championship bracket will be announced Sunday, Nov. 16, via a webcast selection show on NCAA.com at 9 p.m. (CT). The regional tournament will take place November 20-22 on regional campuses. Watch smsumustangs.com or follow on twitter @smsumustangs for updates.