MARSHALL, Minn. – The No. 8 Southwest Minnesota State volleyball team (9-2, 2-2 NSIC) defeated the Minnesota State Morrhead Dragons (8-4, 2-2 NSIC) in three sets, 25-20, 25-14, and 26-24. This was the first match for the Mustangs at home in the PE Gym.
 
Mya Krystosek and Ashley Peltier led the Mustangs in kills with 13 each, with Peltier hitting .500 in the match, and Krystosek hitting .303 with five digs. Leah Jones had 12 kills and nine digs. Sydney Thein had 40 assists, and McKenzie Tolk led SMSU with 12 digs.
 
The Mustangs as a team hit .370 in the match (49-12-100), while the Dragons who were led in kills by Raiah Mandell with nine, hit .133 (33-21-90).
 
In set one, the Mustangs got off to an early lead, building off a 7-0 run to make it 11-4. MSUM, who hit .206 in this period, their best in any set, kept pushing back, but it was not enough, as Leah Jones with five kills in the set boosted SMSU to win the set 25-20.
 
The Mustangs looked even stronger in the second set, going on a 9-3 run towards the middle of the set. Mya Krystosek with four kills in the set led the squad, and won the second set with ease, 25-24.
 
The third set was a much more even contest, and even after a 6-0 start for SMSU, MSUM 12-3 run, giving themselves a chance for a comeback. The Mustangs hung in, eventually finding themselves down 24-22 in the third, before SMSU rattled off four straight points to win the set 26-24, and in turn, the match.

SMSU continues home play on Saturday taking on Minnesota Crookston starting at 2 p.m.