Box Score

ST. PAUL, Minn.— Southwest Minnesota State was within striking distance throughout the match, but hit below .200 as a team for just the second time all season long as the Mustangs fell to top-ranked Concordia-St. Paul in three sets Sunday afternoon in the NSIC Championship match from the Gangelhoff Center.
 
SMSU had 42 kills on 127 attacks (.197) as its attack has struggled in three matches against the Golden Bears this year. The Mustangs have gone 1-2 so far against CSP this year but lost both tournament meetings (CSP won Colorado Premier Championship match on Sept. 10).
 
The Mustangs had six total blocks as a team and hold a 20-17 advantage in blocks in the three matches against CSP so far this year.
 
Taylor Reiss, Kaylee Burmeister, and Megan Larson each recorded double-double performances in the loss. Reiss recorded her sixth straight double-double with a team high 16 kills and 12 digs. Reiss has recorded double digit kills in all 31 matches this season for SMSU. Burmeister added another double-double with 13 kills and 12 digs and Larson contributed 37 assists and 14 digs.
 
Eisha Oden was as dominant on the offensive end as the previous match but still recorded four blocks and had seven kills on the afternoon.
 
The Mustangs got out to a 7-4 lead and held the advantage at 9-6 in the first set, but the two teams were tightly contested through the first set as there were 10 tied scores and five lead changes between the two sides. SMSU took a timeout trailing 20-18 but after three attack errors and a kill from Mariya Sampson, CSP held the first set point up 24-20. An attack error from Sampson briefly gave the Mustangs life before a service error from Taylor Reiss gave CSP the first set win 25-21. While the Mustangs have only lost six opening sets all season long, CSP has won all three first sets between the two sides.
 
The second set was perhaps the closest set on the afternoon as SMSU went 16-of-26 (61 percent) on sideouts while Concordia-St. Paul went 17-of-26 (65 percent). SMSU took the lead at 22-21 after a kill from Taylor Reiss which was answered by a 3-0 run from CSP to earn set point at 24-22. Back-to-back kills from the Mustangs, sandwiched by a Golden Bears' timeout, brought SMSU even with CSP at 24-24. The two sides traded points again to make the score 25-25 before Anna Schlaak recorded two straight kills to end the second set 27-25. Reiss had eight kills on 19 attacks in the second set for SMSU.
 
Facing a two set deficit to overcome, the Mustangs came out strong in the third to the tune of a 7-2 lead. The Mustangs won five straight points that included two service aces from Megan Larson. CSP would quickly work its way back into the set and took the lead for good on a kill from Emma Lange to go up 14-13. SMSU remained close in the third and trailed just two at 21-19, but CSP closed the match on a 4-0 run to win the final set 25-19. Lange would tally six kills in the decisive third set and finished with a match high 17 kills.

SMSU had two players receive tournament honors as Megan Larson and Taylor Reiss were named to the NSIC All-Tournament team.

The Mustangs (26-5) finish as the tournament runner-up after splitting the regular season championship with CSP (29-2). The Golden Bears' win gives them automatic qualification into the NCAA Central Region tournament. SMSU will await the announcement of the rest of the eight-team region tournament bracket which will be aired live on Monday, November 21, at 6:30 p.m., CDT.