MANKATO, Minn. – The Minnesota State volleyball team (10-1, 2-1 NSIC) dropped its first match of the season Tuesday, Sept. 23 falling 3–1 to No. 15 St. Cloud State (8-3, 3-0 NSIC) at the Taylor Center.

Mary Satori led the Mavericks with a season-high 17 kills on .310 hitting, adding two aces, nine digs, and finishing with 19.5 points. Emily Kern was a force in the middle, hitting .333 with 11 kills and a team-best five blocks. Setter Jadyn Lester guided the offense with 45 assists while contributing five kills, nine digs, and a block. Defensively, libero Ellie Kline was outstanding, posting a match-high 29 digs, while outside hitter Avery Klein added 12 kills, nine digs, and three blocks. Rounding out the balanced attack, Avery Rosenberg chipped in nine kills and two timely blocks.

Minnesota State began the first set with an early point from Satori, assisted by Lester. The Mavericks kept the score tight through the middle of the set, highlighted by a service ace from Satori and multiple kills by Jaelyn LaPlante and Kern, pushing the score to a 9-8 lead. However, service errors allowed St. Cloud to regain the advantage. Despite efforts from Satori and Lester, who combined for several key plays, the Mavericks trailed as St. Cloud extended their lead. Late kills by Satori helped maintain pressure, but Minnesota State concluded the set trailing 25-20.

The second set began with St. Cloud establishing momentum through a series of successful plays, leading to an early 5-2 advantage over Minnesota State. Despite several promising kills by Satori and Klein, Minnesota State struggled to maintain a consistent offensive rhythm against St. Cloud's defensive setup. Minnesota State generated momentum with a critical block by Kern and LaPlante, narrowing the gap to 15-11. However, St. Cloud countered with steady scoring, extending their lead to 18-11. As the set progressed, Minnesota State capitalized on a service error and a kill from Madisen Miller to close the gap to 24-20, but St. Cloud secured the final point to claim the set 25-20.

In the third set, Minnesota State capitalized on a series of key plays to secure a 25-19 victory over St. Cloud. After a back-and-forth exchange early on, the Mavericks pulled ahead, aided by an attack error from St. Cloud at 6-4. Kern and Rosenberg contributed crucial kills, with Rosenberg's final point closing the set. During the pivotal moments, Lester frequently assisted, including a well-timed setup for Satori, propelling Minnesota State to a 19-11 advantage. Despite a late push by St. Cloud, Minnesota State maintained composure to conclude the set with Rosenberg's decisive kill.

The fourth set unfolded as a back-and-forth battle with neither side giving an inch. Minnesota State relied on powerful swings from Kern and Satori to stay even early, while Klein added timely kills to keep the Mavericks within reach. Kline's defensive presence stood out once again, extending rallies for MSU. As the frame tightened, Rosenberg fired off consecutive kills to tie the score at 21–21, and Satori followed with another to even it again at 23–23. With momentum hanging in the balance, the Mavericks pressed to force a fifth set, but the Huskies capitalized on the final two points to escape with a 25–23 win and the match.

Minnesota State looks to bounce back Friday, Sept. 26, when the Mavericks travel to Aberdeen, S.D., to face No. 18 Northern State at Wachs Arena. First serve is set for 6 p.m., with live coverage available on the NSIC Network.