MARSHALL, Minn. – The Southwest Minnesota State volleyball team won its sixth straight match with authority, claiming a 3-0 victory over Northern State on Saturday afternoon inside the PE Gym. The Mustangs won by scores of 25-22, 27-17 and 25-22.
 
With the victory, SMSU improves to 19-2 overall, 11-2 NSIC, while NSU moves to 12-9 overall, 7-6 NSIC.
 
Meg Schmidt collected a match-high 18 kills, while hitting .400 to lead the attack. Saari Kuehl added eight kills, Karli Arkell chipped in with six kills, while Brooklyn Kusler and Emma VanHeel closed with three kills.
 
Alisa Bengen was solid all-around yet again for the Mustangs, collecting 33 assists, six digs, four kills, and two blocks. 
 
Natalie Rolbiecki notched 12 digs with Abby Meister and McKenzie Tolk adding seven digs for the Mustangs. VanHeel had five blocks, with Arkell adding four blocks. 
 
The opening set was tied 12-12 before a 4-1 Mustang run gave them a 16-13 lead. The Wolves would narrow the gap to 18-17, but a 4-0 run, with a pair of kills from both Schmidt and Kuehl, gave SMSU a 22-17 advantage. The Mustangs closed the set with a Tolk ace to take a 1-0 lead. 
 
SMSU rode momentum into set two, turning a 2-2 game into a 9-2 lead in an instant. Trailing 12-5, NSU mounted a comeback, scoring six consecutive points to trail 12-11. Nine of the next 12 points would go to the Mustangs, and the set was capped off by a 4-1 run to give SMSU a 2-0 advantage. 
 
The Mustangs would hold another early lead at 15-9 to begin set three. After the Wolves battled to make the set 16-14, six of nine points would fall in favor of the Mustangs. The Wolves scored consecutive match points to bring set three to a score of 24-22, but Meg Schmidt capped off a monster day with a kill to hand SMSU the victory. 
 
SMSU heads to Sioux Falls, S.D., on Thursday, taking on the Augustana Vikings at 6 p.m., in the Elmen Center.