MANKATO, Minn. – The Minnesota State volleyball team (1-0) put together a well-rounded win over Upper Iowa on the opening night of the Maverick Invite. The team swept the Peacocks, 3-0 at the Taylor Center.

The Mavericks finished with 39 kills, six aces and eight total blocks in the match. Six different MSU players finished with six or more kills.

After a back-and-forth start to the first set, Minnesota State, led by freshman Avery Klein, went on a 7-2 run to make the score 13-9. Klein had two kills and two blocks in that stretch, sparking the Maverick offense. The Peacocks remained resilient, able to fend off some fast serves and turned it into offense.

With a three-point lead, the Mavericks scored four consecutive points on four errors from Upper Iowa, which put the team up 22-15. The Peacocks did not make the end of the set easy for the Mavericks. Despite Minnesota State taking the victory in the set, 25-21, the Peacocks took some momentum away by closing out the first set on a 6-3 run to tighten the gap. But sophomore middle blocker Avery Rosenberg ended the set with a nice play at the net.

Upper Iowa took a 3-2 lead to start the second set, thanks to a kill by Nicole Pozorski. Minnesota State snatched the advantage back, going on a 7-1 run to make the score 9-4. Emily Kern and Rosenberg combined for a huge block and another freshman Jadyn Lester tallied an ace on the run.

Consistent passing was the story of the Mavericks for the remainder of the set. Senior setter Brooke Bolwerk recorded eight assists in the second set, as she was setting up the Minnesota State hitters for excellent looks at the net. UIU went on a four-point run to decrease the deficit to just three, but the Mavericks overpowered the Peacocks, closing out the set 25-18, thanks to a pair of kills from Kern.

The Mavericks continued to capitalize on Upper Iowa's mistakes, jumping out to an early 6-1 lead in the third set of the match. After falling behind early, the Peacocks punched their way back into the set, going on run of their own to make it 8-5.

Following some back-and-forth scoring, Minnesota State extended its lead to 19-12, thanks to a pair of kills from both Rosenberg and senior outside hitter Emma Loveall. After a Maverick service error, the team closed out the match on a 6-2 run. The game ended on a Toryn Richards service ace which gave the Mavericks a 25-15 victory in the final set, notching the first win for the team in 2024.

Offensively, Loveall led the Minnesota State squad in kills, tallying eight on the day. Richards finished with seven kills, a game-high three aces, three blocks and 12 digs. Senior middle blocker Kiya Durant played an excellent game inside, finishing with six kills, three total blocks and an ace. Both Rosenberg and Klein finished with six kills. Klein also had three blocks in her Maverick debut.

Senior libero Ellie Kline ended with 16 digs to lead all players. Both setters, Bolwerk and Lester, finished the match with 17 assists each.

For Upper Iowa, graduate student Zoe Semelroth finished with 13 kills and Pozorski ended with 25 assists, the most in the match.

"Our focus tonight was to be aggressive at the service line to get them out of system as much as possible and to make sure we are taking care of the ball and we did that even better than expected" said a beaming Corey Phelps, Minnesota State's head coach, following the match. "I think we did a great job of staying focused throughout the match. The fact that we stayed aggressive while remaining focused was important."

When asked about the two freshmen debuts, Phelps had high praises: "They are both very good players. [Klein and Lester] played club ball together the last year, so they already have a large amount of chemistry coming into the season. They offer our team so much; Klein plays with so much intensity and Lester brings a great energy on the court and is able to put mistakes behind her."

The Maverick Invite continues tomorrow, Friday, September 6. The opening match of the day will be played at 8 a.m. between Northern Michigan and MSU Moorhead. Minnesota State will take on Truman State at 12 p.m. and the Rangers of UW-Parkside at 6 p.m. For more information about the Maverick Invite, click HERE.