Box Score MANKATO, Minn. – The No. 20 Minnesota State Mavericks defeated Minnesota Crookston in five sets Tuesday night to earn a win in the first of three consecutive home matches.
 
The first set was a back-and-forth affair, until a kill by senior outside hitter Alli Rice triggered a 9-0 run for the Mavericks giving them a 19-10 lead. MSU closed out the first set with a 25-15 win.
 
In the second set, both teams battled to a 17-17 tie. However, the Golden Eagles took two consecutive points and went on to take the se,t 25-22.
 
Minnesota State responded in the third set racing out to an early 11-4 lead. Junior outside hitter Chelsea Fogarty led the Mavericks with six kills in the set. MSU won the set, 25-15, to take a 2-1 lead in the match.
 
An extremely close fourth set went to Minnesota Crookston, 25-21.  Neither team had held a lead greater than two, until the Golden Eagles went on a 6-3 run to force a decisive fifth set.
 
The Mavericks started off hot in the fifth set as Fogarty recorded seven of the first eight MSU points.  She would finish the set with nine kills, including the match-winner, as Minnesota State defeated the Golden Eagles, 15-10.
 
MSU was led offensively by senior setter Brittany Stamer who recorded 59 assists in the match.  Stamer helped three Mavericks earn double-digit kills in the match. Fogarty led the team with 22 kills, followed by Rice with 18 and junior middle blocker Jill Storlie added 15 in a winning effort.
 
The Golden Eagles were led by Brittany Looker and Amanda Swann, who had 18 and 13 kills respectively in the match.
 
The Mavericks (16-8, 9-7 NSIC) are next in action Friday night as they host Northern State.  The match is scheduled to begin at 7 p.m., at Taylor Center.