MANKATO, Minn. – The Minnesota State Mavericks (16-8, 8-8 NSIC) fell to the Minnesota Duluth Bulldogs (15-10, 8-9 NSIC) in a five-set match on Saturday, 3-2. The Mavericks lost despite a career day for senior middle blocker Kiya Durant. The Plymouth, Minn. native finished with a career-high 15 kills and recorded eight total blocks, her highest total of the 2024 season.
 
A quick 4-0 run capped off by a block assist from Durant and Avery Klein for the Mavericks put the home team up 6-3 early in set one. After some back-and-forth, the Bulldogs went on a 7-1 run to put UMD up 14-10. Minnesota State slowly worked its way back into the set and a kill from Durant made the score 19-17. Freshman Jadyn Lester subbed in and served up two consecutive sharp aces over the net to tie the score, 19-19. Following a Bulldog kills, the Mavericks went on a 4-0 run to put the score at 23-20; Klein had a kill and combined with junior middle Emily Kern for a block. Those two halted another UMD attack at the net and Klein ended the set with a kill, which gave the Mavericks a 1-0 lead after they took set one 25-22.
 
After the Bulldogs took an early 4-2 lead in the second, a service error began a 7-0 run for Minnesota State that put the home team up 9-4. On that run, Durant and senior outside hitter Toryn Richards had a block assist and a kill, and Klein had a service ace. Minnesota Duluth responded with a 6-1 run of its own to tie the score at 10-10. Following some back-and-forth scoring, MSU took a 17-16 lead after a block from Durant and setter Brooke Bolwerk. The Bulldogs took the lead right back on a Maverick attack error, but the lead was handed back after a pair of attack errors for UMD. The two teams traded scores to give MSU a 20-19 lead. Minnesota Duluth regained service possession on an error and Samantha Paulson for the Bulldogs went on a tear; the senior had three kills and a block assist to close out the set, 25-21. UMD ended on a 6-1 run.
 
Minnesota State went on back-to-back 3-1 runs to start the third set. After a Bulldog kill set the score at 7-6, graduate senior Emma Loveall and Klein had kills to put the Mavericks up by three, but Minnesota Duluth scored two-straight in response. The Mavericks propelled themselves on a massive 7-1 run to put the team up 17-9 in the set; Kern had three blocks in the run and Klein capped it off with two kills. The Bulldogs were able to get some back-and-forth scoring going, but Minnesota State put its foot down and closed out the set on a 6-0 run thanks to three blocks and two kills from Durant, 25-12. The Mavericks were up 2-1.
 
Another run for MSU, this time a 6-1 spurt, put the team up 8-4. Durant had another two kills and a block assist in the early goings of the fourth set. The two teams traded scores and swapped possession until the Mavericks led 15-11. Minnesota Duluth went on a 4-0 run to tie it, thanks to a pair of kills from Cianna Selbitschka and a service ace from Kaylyn Madison. After Minnesota State went up by two, a Bulldog kill and a Maverick error tied the score again at 18-18. UMD eventually took a 21-20 lead thanks to a kill from Paulsen. Down the stretch, the Bulldogs were able to force a fifth set, as they took set four 25-23 on a kill from Selbitschka.
 
UMD jumped out to a quick 3-0 lead and a kill from Selbitschka gave the Bulldogs service back up 4-1. A kill from Kern and a block from Durant and Richards cut the Minnesota Duluth lead to one. After a service error, the Mavericks went on a 3-0 run to take a 6-5 lead in the final set, thanks to a kill from Klein and two from Durant. Selbitschka hit a kill and then served up an ace to retake the lead, but a Durant kill tied it up. Paulsen connected with her setter for a kill to switch sides of the net.
 
After the switch, the Bulldogs went on a 3-0 run on three-straight blocks at the net to put UMD up 11-7. A manufactured 4-1 run for the Mavericks cut the deficit to one, but it wasn't quite enough. Despite a block from Kern and Richards, Selbitschka hit the ball over the net, which sailed out of bounds, but, after review, it appeared as though a Maverick finger grazed the ball, ending the match with a fifth set score of 15-13.
 
Minnesota State ended with more kills (65), a higher hit percentage (.242), more blocks (16) and recorded more digs (102) than the Bulldogs and still couldn't quite pull off the victory.
 
Klein led the Mavericks with 18 kills in the match with a .318 hit percentage. She also finished with an ace, three block assists and 13 digs. Durant ended with one solo block, seven block assists and 15 kills in the match. Loveall had 12 kills, eight digs and a block assist. Richards ended with nine kills, five blocks and 10 digs. Kern also had eight total blocks, two solos and six assists.
 
Junior libero Ellie Kline had 29 digs in the match to lead MSU. Junior Madisen Miller had 19 digs and a service ace. Lester's two back-to-back aces was good enough for the Maverick lead in the match. Bolwerk ended with 58 assists and four block assists to go along with her 10 digs.
 
Selbitschka and Paulson combined for 35 kills and five total blocks in the match for Minnesota Duluth.
 
"It's a typical end of season NSIC match. Both teams played very well" said Maverick head coach Corey Phelps. "They found ways to capitalize when it counted. I thought we fought had throughout. WE could have done things differently but all-in-all, we battled. Our defense was great, but they won a few long rallies that gave them momentum down the stretch. We will regroup and be ready to finish the regular season with a pair of wins next week."
 
Minnesota State closes out the regular season on the road. First, the team travels to Bemidji State to take on the Beavers (8-16, 3-13 NSIC) on Friday, November 15 at 6 p.m. Then on Saturday, November 16, the Mavericks play Minnesota Crookston (7-17, 4-12 NSIC) at 2:30 p.m.