MINOT, N.D. — On Friday, Oct. 31, the Minnesota State volleyball team (18-5, 10-5 NSIC) earned a dominant road sweep over Minot State (3-20, 1-13 NSIC) inside the Minot State Dome. The No. 24-ranked Mavericks controlled the match from start to finish, taking the sets 25-12, 25-16, and 25-20 while hitting .229 as a team with nine service aces and 70 digs.
Middle blocker Avery Rosenberg posted a match-high 11 kills with a hitting percentage of .476. Ellie Kline excelled defensively, recording 28 digs and adding three aces. Sophomore, Jadyn Lester contributed significantly with 31 assists and 15 digs and senior Emily Kern was effective at the net, registering five total blocks.
Minnesota State opened the match strong, quickly establishing control through a series of sharp plays. Avery Klein and Lester worked in sync early, with Klein recording three kills and Lester adding key assists along with a service ace to put the Mavericks ahead 4-0. The visitors maintained their rhythm, taking advantage of Minot State's early errors to extend the lead to 7-1. Rosenberg then delivered several timely kills, while Mary Satori's service ace helped widen the gap even further. Although the Beavers briefly pushed back, the Mavericks continued to dictate the pace. Klein remained steady with more kills and service aces, while Rosenberg and Jaelyn LaPlante contributed crucial points to sustain the lead. Minnesota State closed out the opening set in dominant fashion, with Satori and Rosenberg each tallying late kills to seal a commanding 25-12 win.
MSU took control early in the second set with a 3-0 lead, highlighted by a kill from Satori and two attack errors by Minot State. The Beavers briefly tied it at 3-3, but the Mavericks regained control behind a string of service aces from Kline. LaPlante and Kern added key kills to push the lead to 13-8, while Rosenberg kept the offense balanced. Strong play from Satori and Rosenberg sealed the set, with Rosenberg's final kill securing a 25-16 win and keeping Minnesota State in command.
The Mavericks opened the third set with a strong start, jumping out to a 3-0 lead behind a kill from Klein, a service ace by Lester, and a Minot State attack error. Minnesota State kept up the pressure through the middle stages, as LaPlante and Rosenberg added key points to extend the lead to 8-5. Minot State tried to rally, but the Mavericks answered with steady play, capitalizing on Beaver errors and strong defensive efforts from Kern and LaPlante. A kill from Klein pushed the score to 19-12. MSU maintained control down the stretch, with Satori adding a crucial point before Klein sealed the set with a decisive kill for a 25-20 victory.
"Our defense was solid tonight," said Head Coach Corey Phelps. "We came out firing in the first and played great offensively. We will continue to work on being more disciplined and consistent on that half of the ball. Solid win for us on the road, with a quick turn around tomorrow morning against a solid UMary squad."
Minnesota State returns to action on Saturday, Nov. 1, continuing its NSIC road trip against the University of Mary. First serve is set for 10 a.m. inside the McDowell Activity Center in Bismarck, N.D. The game can be streamed live on the NSIC Network.
