BEMIDJI, Minn. – The No. 10 ranked Southwest Minnesota State volleyball team (18-4, 12-3 NSIC) earned a 3-0 sweep over Bemidji State (15-8, 7-8 NSIC) on Saturday afternoon at BSU Gymnasium, winning by set scores of 25-20, 25-18 and 25-16.
Natalie Pilney led the Mustangs offensively with 10 kills without committing an attack error, finishing with a .526 hitting percentage. Leah Jones added nine kills and four total blocks, while Mya Krystosek contributed six kills without an error and recorded three service aces.
Ashlynn Schroeder paced the Mustang defense with 20 digs, while Krystosek added 11 digs. Sydney Thein led the offense with 19 assists, while Tatem Schmidt contributed 13 assists. SMSU also received four service aces from Krystosek, Paige Steinmetz and Schmidt combined, while Pilney added two aces.
As a team, SMSU hit .266 (37-8-109), recording 11 service aces, 53 digs and 10 total blocks. Bemidji State, led by Nevaeh Carlson, Ava Athman, and Ella Kratochvil with eight kills each, hit .089 (30-20-112).
The Mustangs took control of the opening set early, building an 8-3 lead before continuing to hold the Beavers at a distance. Bemidji State worked to narrow the gap, cutting the deficit to 18-16 late in the set. SMSU responded with a key stretch to regain momentum, extending its lead to 22-17 before closing out the set 25-20.
The second set featured a back-and-forth opening stretch, with the teams tied at 4-4 before Bemidji State moved ahead with three straight points. The Mustangs quickly responded, battling back to tie the score at 8-8 and then taking control. SMSU built a 15-11 advantage and continued to extend the lead, moving ahead 21-15 before finishing the set with a 25-18 victory to take a 2-0 match lead.
SMSU started the third set with a dominant run, scoring the first five points of the set. The Beavers responded with a pair of points, but the Mustangs continued to control the set, building a 12-6 advantage and then extending the lead to 17-10. SMSU maintained its momentum through the closing points, reaching match point at 24-15 before securing a 25-16 win to complete the sweep.
The Mustangs go on the road to start next week against Wayne State on Tuesday at 6 p.m.
