MANKATO, Minn. – The Minnesota State volleyball team (15-6, 7-6 NSIC) defeated the No. 10 Mustangs (18-4, 9-4 NSIC) Wednesday night in thrilling fashion in front of a home crowd, 3-2. Both Avery Klein and Emma Loveall set career-highs in kills in the match and setter Brooke Bolwerk posted a career-best 61 assists in the upset.
 
With the win over SMSU, the Mavericks surpass their win total from a season ago with 15 victories on the season.
 
After the Mustangs jumped out to a 4-0 start to begin the match, Minnesota State cut the lead in half thanks to an attack error and a kill from Toryn Richards. Southwest Minnesota State extended its lead to five, but a 3-0 run for MSU, thanks to a block from senior middle Kiya Durant and Klein and another kill from Richards, put the score at 8-6. The Mavericks tied the set score at 10-10 on a block assist from Durant and Bolwerk. A 7-1 run for the home team gave Minnesota State a 17-12 lead in the set. Junior middle blocker Emily Kern combined with Loveall for a block assist and had two kills in that stretch; Klein also had two kills on the run.
 
Southwest Minnesota State responded in a colossal way, as the away team took control of the set. The Mustangs closed out the set on a 13-4 run to win set one, 25-21.
 
After they let the set get away from them, the Mavericks scored seven points before the Mustangs managed one. In the early goings of set two, Kern had two solo blocks and a kill and Klein had two kills and a solo block herself. A block assist from Kern and Richards kept the MSU lead at seven, 9-2. SMSU cut into the Maverick lead, but the home team went on a 6-1 run to make the score 18-9; Loveall had three kills in that stretch, Kern and Bolwerk combined for a block and Bolwerk capped the run off with an ace from the service line.
 
The Mustangs didn't go away, however, as the team pushed back with an 8-4 run to cut the Minnesota State lead to five. Unfortunately for SMSU, the Mavericks' lead was too great and the home team took the set 25-19. MSU hit .300 in the set and had five blocks in set two.
 
A Loveall-Run put Minnesota State up 4-1 in the early goings of set three. Klein and Bolwerk each had a kill and Loveall served an ace to give the Mavericks the early lead. Another 4-1 run for the home team put Minnesota State up 8-4. Senior libero Ellie Kline had an ace and Richards and Klein had a kill, also. A 3-0 run for SMSU made the score 10-8, but Loveall, Kern and Klein had a trio of kills that put the Mavericks back up by four.
 
After some back-and-forth play, Southwest Minnesota State put together a 5-1 run to tie the set at 16-16. Minnesota State responded with a 6-2 run to put the score at 22-18; Durant and Bolwerk combined for a block to start the run, which was followed up by three kills from Loveall and one from Durant. Just like that, though, the Mustangs tied the score at 22-22 with a quick 4-0 run. After a Mustang attack error, Richards blasted a kill through the opposing defense to force a set-point. A service error for both teams ended set three; Minnesota State took a 2-1 lead over SMSU. The Mustang's four service errors cost them the set.
 
A furious SMSU start to the fourth set put the away team up 5-1 early. After a pair of Mustang errors, a kill from Durant cut the deficit to two. A 4-1 run for the Mavericks tied the set at 8-8; Durant added two more kills to her total and Loveall had one, as well. The Mustangs quickly went up two, but an attack error from their side of the net tied the score again at 12-12. Both teams took turns scoring, until two-straight points for the Mavericks off of a kill from Klein and an ace from Bolwerk put the home team up 17-16.
 
Service possession traded hands 10 times before the Mustangs went on a 3-0 run to force a set-point, 24-22. The Mavericks were not so easily denied, as the team went on a 3-0 run of their own to take a 25-24 lead to keep the hope alive. Loveall had a kill, followed by an attack error from the Mustangs that barely missed the line which led to a solo block from Klein to put Minnesota State up one. A kill for SMSU tied the score up, but a Klein kill put the Mavericks back up one. Southwest Minnesota State closed out the set with three-straight kills to take set four, 28-26, to force a fifth set. There were 17 lead changes in the boxing match of a set.
 
A kill from Richards and a block from Durant and Klein put Minnesota State up 4-2 to start the fifth. A 4-1 run for the Mavericks put the team up 8-4, which forced the teams to switch sides of the net. Klein started the run with a kill, followed up by a kill from Richards, an ace from Madisen Miller and a kill from Loveall. After a service error gave SMSU service possession, Loveall had a kill and the Mustangs committed two attack errors to put MSU up 11-5.
 
Both teams were exhausted, but the Mavericks were able to manufacture a 4-1 run to close out the match. Minnesota State upset the Mustangs with a 15-7 win in the fifth set. Loveall capped off the set with a huge kill to give the Mavericks the win.
 
Minnesota State ended with 72 kills, six service aces, 12 total blocks, 68 assists and 115 digs. SMSU had one more ace than the Mavericks with seven.
 
Loveall ended the match with 23 kills, nine digs, an ace and a block assist. Her kills total marks a new career-best for the graduate senior. Loveall hit .317 in the match.
 
Klein also crushed her previous career-high with 20 kills in the match. The true freshman right side also set a new career-best with 23 digs to lead the team. Klein also had two solo blocks and two block assists.
 
Kern led all players with six total blocks in the match, including two solos. The Cleveland, Minn. native also recorded five kills against SMSU.
 
Richards ended the match with 11 kills with a .303 hit percentage, six digs and two block assists. Durant had 10 kills, three digs and four block assists versus in the Mustangs.
 
Senior setter, Bolwerk, ended with a career-high 61 assists against SMSU. She also had two service aces, three block assists and season-high 17 digs.
 
Both Miller and Kline ended with 18 digs a-piece. Kline contributed two service aces and Miller served an ace herself. Sophomore defensive specialist, Kendall White, also set a career-high with 13 digs in the match.
 
"Between sets one and two, we talked about the fact that we had them right where we wanted to and we eased up," said an ecstatic Corey Phelps, head coach of the Mavericks. "Throughout the rest of the match, our goal was to make sure they stayed uncomfortable. We served aggressively, our defense was ridiculous and a big key for us was making sure that we worked hard in transition and kept the middles involved."
 
When speaking about Kern, Coach Phelps said "She is someone that is going to grind all the time and she is unwilling to give up. She was gritty the whole night at the net and she did good things whenever she got it. Her vision and shot-making ability came into play numerous times tonight."
 
Phelps' face lit up when talking about his freshman right side: "It's hard to put into words, to be totally honest, because she does not play like a freshman. She has so much poise and she is one of a kind. Klein is able to stay present in the moment regardless of the situation or opponent. I don't have enough good things to say about the kid."
 
Coach Phelps also brought up his senior leadership, specifically Loveall and Bolwerk. "They do great things for us. Bolwerk is, at this stage in her career, learning more about how to run a great offense. She is proving the point that it doesn't matter how much time you have left, you can always keep improving. Loveall, as a senior outside hitter, is able to grind and find ways to be helpful to the team in every situation. We made changes to our offense, which effects everyone, and she has taken it in stride and continues to work hard. This was a total team effort, and everyone stepped up in their own way. I couldn't be prouder of them."
 
Minnesota State travels to Winona State for a rematch with the Warriors (14-9, 7-5 NSIC) on Saturday, November 2 at 4 p.m. in McCown Gymnasium. The Mavericks ended a five-game losing streak against Winona State with a dominant 3-0 sweep in the Taylor Center back in late September.