MARSHALL, Minn. – The No. 3 seeded Southwest Minnesota State volleyball team (21-7) fell Tuesday night to No. 6 seeded Minnesota Duluth (22-7) in four sets at PE Gym in the NSIC Tournament Quarterfinals. The No. 15 nationally ranked Mustangs took the opening set 31-29 before the No. 23 ranked Bulldogs rallied to win the next three sets 25-19, 26-24 and 25-21.
Natalie Pilney led SMSU with 13 kills while hitting .400 and added a team-high seven total blocks. Leah Jones finished with 12 kills, while Mya Krystosek recorded 11 kills. Ashley Peltier added nine kills on a .421 hitting percentage and three block assists.
Ashlynn Schroeder led the Mustangs defensively with 22 digs, while Sydney Thein and Tatem Schmidt paced the offense with 25 and 21 assists, respectively. Schmidt also contributed 13 digs.
SMSU finished the match hitting .236 (59-17-178) along with 76 digs and 13 total blocks. Minnesota Duluth, led in kills by Paige Decker with a career-high 23, hit .220 in the match (70-29-186)
The Mustangs opened the night with a hard-fought first set, overcoming a late challenge from the Bulldogs. The teams were tied at 29 before SMSU earned the final two points to secure the 31-29 victory. Pilney and Krystosek each contributed to the Mustangs' 19 kills in the opening set.
Minnesota Duluth responded in the second set, building an early 5-1 advantage and maintaining control throughout the frame. The Bulldogs took the set 25-19 to even the match at one set apiece.
SMSU started the third set with a strong stretch, building a 13-8 lead. The Bulldogs worked their way back into the set, eventually tying the score at 20. The teams traded points down the stretch, but Minnesota Duluth secured the final two points to take the set 26-24.
The Mustangs opened the fourth set with a 2-0 lead before Minnesota Duluth responded with a seven-point run to take a 7-3 advantage. SMSU continued to battle and eventually tied the set at 20, but the Bulldogs scored the final five points to close out the match with a 25-21 win.
SMSU now awaits for the NCAA Selection Show on Sunday, Nov. 15 at 9 p.m.
