MARSHALL, Minn. – The No. 8 Southwest Minnesota State volleyball team (10-2, 3-2 NSIC) close out the weekend with a sweep of the Minnesota Crookston Golden Eagles (6-7, 0-5 NSIC), 25-10, 25-13, 25-11.
 
Leah Jones led the team in kills with 10, the only player with double-digit kills in the match, hitting .320 with nine digs. Mya Krystosek had nine kills and was second on the team with 10 digs. Natalie Pilney had seven kills and was one of three Mustangs with five block assists. Ashley Peltier and Emily Rohrer were the other two in that category, and both had six kills, and hitting a combined .631. McKenzie Tolk again led SMSU in digs with 14, and Sydney Thein added 30 assists to her campaign.
 
The Mustangs hit .318 as a team (40-12-88), while the Golden Eagles, led in kills by Madison Carsten with four, hit -.074 (15-22-95).
 
SMSU started quick out the gate, getting an early 10-2 lead in the first set in part from two Ashley Peltier kills. And while the Golden Eagles fought back, diminishing the Mustang lead to five points, the Mustangs went on a 13-3 run to end the set, winning 25-10.
 
The second set started in a similar fashion with SMSU getting an 11-1 lead early. The Mustangs never let up, and won 25-13 behind five kills from Leah Jones.
 
It was much of the same in the third set, with the Mustangs getting a 9-2 advantage. And after another 9-2 run with three kills from Leah Jones, the match was all but finished, with SMSU winning the final set 25-11.
 
The Mustangs are on the road next weekend with two pivotal contests. First on Friday, Oct. 3 at 6 p.m. against NSIC preseason favorites No. 15 St. Cloud State (10-3, 5-0 NSIC), and on the following day at 2 p.m., the Mustangs face off against Minnesota State Mankato (12-1, 8-1 NSIC). Both games will be streamed live on the NSIC Network.