MARSHALL, Minn. – The No. 8 Southwest Minnesota State volleyball team started its three-game week with a victory over Sioux Falls, 25-12, 25-18, 22-25, 25-17 on Tuesday night in the PE Gym.
 
SMSU advances to 15-2 overall with a 7-2 record in the NSIC while USF moves to 9-7 overall and 5-4 in the NSIC. 
 
The Mustangs were led by the all-around play of Alisa Bengen, who totaled 37 assists, nine kills, nine digs, and three blocks while hitting .692 on the night. Saari Kuehl had a match-high 12 kills, while Meg Schmidt followed with 11 kills of her own. Emma VanHeel delivered nine kills and a match-high eight blocks, and Abby Meister held down the back line with 10 digs.
 
The story of the match was at the service line, where the Mustangs picked up 11 aces and USF committed 10 service errors, and at the net, where SMSU out-blocked USF 12-5 and out-attacked the Cougars 54 kills-45 kills.
 
Following a pair of USF points to open the match, The Mustangs scored five straight points, eventually racing to a 22-10 lead to ignite a PE Gym crowd on their game of the year. The set was closed out by a pair of USF errors to give SMSU a 1-0 lead.
 
After a 7-1 run to give the Cougars an 11-6 lead, SMSU took control of set two, scoring seven of the next nine points, and 14 of the next 18 points to take a 20-15 lead that wouldn't be relinquished. After USF closed the gap to 20-17, the Mustangs took a VanHeel kill, Halle Jansen kill, and a pair of McKenzie Tolk aces to lead 24-17 before a Jansen kill sent SMSU into the locker room up 2-0. 
 
Set three was a balanced set between teams, with SMSU eventually leading 22-20, but could not complete the sweep, allowing two kills, two aces, and committing an error to send the match to a fourth set. 
 
The fourth set saw each team match runs and trading the first 30 points to sit at a 15-15 tie. The Mustangs decided enough was enough, scoring eight straight points, with Bengen, VanHeel, and Kuehl each picking up two kills in the run before being capped off by a block from VanHeel and Kuehl. USF scored two of the next three points, but VanHeel delivered the final blow to end the match. 
 
Jansen finished the match with nine kills, while Rachel Fink added eight digs and four service aces.
 
SMSU outhit USF .351-.235 on the day and out-dug the Cougars 48-40.
 
SMSU travels to face Minot State and UMary over the weekend. The Mustangs face the Beavers at 7 p.m. on Friday, and the Marauders on Saturday, at 2 p.m.