ST. CLOUD, Minn. – The No. 12 ranked Southwest Minnesota State volleyball team (10-3, 3-3 NSIC) were defeated tonight in a reverse sweep by the No. 13 ranked St. Cloud State Huskies (11-3, 6-0 NSIC), 25-19, 25-19, 17-25, 23-25, 11-15.
 
Leah Jones once again led the Mustangs, as well as setting a new career high in kills, with 20 while hitting .302 on the match. Ashley Peltier and Mya Krystosek both had 14 kills, with Krystosek getting the second most digs on the team with 18, while Karli Arkell had 11 kills and hit .409. McKenzie Tolk led the team in digs with 19, and Sydney Thein had 55 assists, her fourth match of 50 or more assists on the season.
 
As a team, the Mustangs hit .223 (66-26-179), while the Huskies, led in kills by Ella Thompson with 15, hit .254 (66-22-173). Thompson was one of four Huskies to have double digit kills, and she hit .367 in the match.
 
In the first set, the Mustangs out-hit the Huskies .355 to .111, with St. Cloud committing nine attack errors. The set was hard fought, and was tied 17-17 before the Mustangs went on an 8-2 run, and the Mustangs won the first set, 25-19.
 
The Mustangs dominated the second set early, which included a 9-1 run for SMSU with four Karli Arkell kills. The Huskies tried to mount a comeback in the set, but were stopped short, and again the Mustangs won the set 25-19, with the Mustangs hitting .282 in the set.
 
Momentum seemed to shift in the third set, with St. Cloud hitting .344 in the set, while the Mustangs hit .075 with eight attack errors. A 7-3 run for the Huskies in the middle of the set gave St. Cloud some room to work with, and took full advantage, and after a 5-0 swing for the Huskies, the Mustangs fell in the third set, 17-25.
 
The fourth set was the most evenly matched set, with no team gaining a lead of more than three points. St. Cloud lead 18-15 late, but the Mustangs mounted a comeback, going on an 8-4 run to lead the set 23-22. But three straight points for the Huskies forced a fifth set, winning 25-23.
 
In the fifth set, St. Cloud hit .370 with 11 kills out of 15 points, while the Mustangs hit .200. Shelby Kimm had six of the 11 Huskie kills, and St. Cloud won the fifth set 15-11, reverse sweeping the Mustangs.
 
SMSU travels to Mankato to face Minnesota State tomorrow afternoon at 2 p.m. The match will be streamed on the NSIC Network, and more information can be found at smsumustangs.com/sports/womens-volleyball.