SAINT PAUL, Minn. — Minnesota State volleyball team (16-3, 8-3 NSIC) fell to Concordia-St. Paul (14-4, 10-1 NSIC) in straight sets at the Gangelhoff Center on Saturday, Oct. 18. This match marked No. 25-ranked Minnesota State's first loss of the season where they didn't win a single set, highlighting the dominance of No. 10 Concordia-St. Paul's performance.

Ellie Kline led defensively with 17 digs, providing stability in the backcourt. Jadyn Lester set up the offense with 26 assists, contributing significantly to the team's ball distribution. Emily Kern recorded eight kills and added three blocks, showcasing her presence at the net. Mary Satori contributed six kills and 10 digs, offering balanced play on both offense and defense.

MSU opened the first set with energy, jumping out to an 8-4 lead behind kills from Avery Rosenberg and Kern and a service ace from Madisen Miller. The set remained tight as Concordia-St. Paul answered with a run to tie it at 11-11. Despite strong swings from Kern and Satori, a few late errors allowed CSP to pull ahead and take the opening set 25-19.

In the second set, the Mavericks again came out strong, building a 5-1 advantage following a series of attack errors and kills from Satori and Rosenberg. Avery Klein and Addison Foor added timely points to maintain the lead, but the Golden Bears regained momentum midway through the frame, overtaking Minnesota State to lead 15-11. The Mavericks closed the gap to 20-16 with efforts from Jaelyn LaPlante and Satori, but a blocking error late sealed another 25-19 setback.

The third set saw Minnesota State continue to battle, narrowing an early deficit with key plays from Klein and Kern to tie the score at 12-12. Consistent defense and steady serving from Lester helped the Mavericks stay within reach, but Concordia-St. Paul pulled away late to go up 21-14. MSU rallied once more, before ultimately dropping the final set 25-20.

"We fought hard and they outplayed us," said Head Coach Corey Phelps. He adds that "it's another lesson in a long season of progress. We will make some adjustments and look forward to our next match."

In their next game, Minnesota State will travel to face No. 11 St. Cloud State on October 21 at 6 p.m. The matchup will take place at Halenbeck Hall in St. Cloud, Minn.