MANKATO, Minn. – The No. 13 ranked Southwest Minnesota State volleyball team (21-5, 15-4 NSIC) earned a 3-0 sweep over Minnesota State (10-17, 8-11 NSIC) on Friday evening at Taylor Center, winning by set scores of 25-21, 25-22 and 25-19.
With the victory, SMSU clinches a home match in the NSIC Tournament on Tuesday. The Mustangs will know their opponent after Saturday's match.
Leah Jones led the Mustangs offensively with 15 kills while hitting .333. Ashley Peltier and Mya Krystosek each added nine kills, with Peltier hitting .571. Mollie Rupp also contributed nine kills, while Krystosek added to the defensive effort with 13 digs.
Newly-named NSIC Libero of the Year Ashlynn Schroeder led SMSU with 22 digs, while Sydney Thein recorded 22 assists and 14 digs. Tatem Schmidt added 15 assists, while Natalie Pilney and Lindsay Kruse each finished with five total blocks.
As a team, SMSU hit .261 (48-13-134), recording three service aces, 70 digs and 10 total blocks. Minnesota State hit .129 (38-20-140), with Avery Klein leading the Mavericks with 11 kills.
The opening set featured a competitive start, with the teams trading points through the early stages. Minnesota State built an advantage midway through the set, moving ahead 17-12, but SMSU responded with a 13-4 run scoring seven of the final 10 points, to secure a 25-21 victory.
The second set again featured a back-and-forth battle, with SMSU building an early 7-3 advantage. Minnesota State battled back to tie the score at 11-11, and the teams continued to trade points through the middle portion of the set. With the score tied at 19-19, the Mustangs found another gear, scoring six of the final nine points to close out the set 25-22 and take a 2-0 match lead.
SMSU carried its momentum into the third set, overcoming an early deficit after Minnesota State opened with a 5-2 lead. The Mustangs battled back to tie the score at 7-7 before putting together a strong stretch of play to build a 16-9 advantage. Minnesota State attempted a late rally, cutting the deficit to 22-17, but SMSU maintained control and closed out the set 25-19 to complete the sweep.
The Mustangs conclude the regular season on Saturday, traveling to face St. Cloud State at 2 p.m.
