ROLLA, Mo. – Minnesota State (3-0) continued its strong start to the season Friday at the Miner Volleyball Tournament, posting consecutive straight-set victories over Missouri Southern (1-1) and Christian Brothers (0-2) at Gibson Arena.

Senior middle blocker Emily Kern was dominant at the net, finishing the two matches with 22 kills and seven total blocks. Avery Rosenberg provided consistent production in the middle with 17 kills across both contests. Mary Satori contributed in multiple areas, adding 12 kills, eight service aces, and 16 digs over the two matches. Setter Jadyn Lester directed the attack with 67 assists while also recording six aces. Head Coach Corey Phelps noted that "our middles have been excellent all weekend so far," highlighting the impact of Kern and Rosenberg in leading the Mavericks' strong performance.

Match One: Minnesota State 3, Missouri Southern 0
The opening frame against Missouri Southern featured multiple ties in the early stages, with both teams trading points to a 10–10 deadlock. From there, Kern registered back-to-back kills to give MSU a narrow edge. Rosenberg followed with consecutive points on the outside, extending the lead to 17–15. Missouri Southern stayed within striking distance, closing the gap to 21–20, but Minnesota State closed on a 4–1 run. A combination block from Kern and Lester capped the set, 25–21.

MSU asserted itself from the opening serve in the second set. Lester put together a strong serving run that included an ace and forced the Lions into several errors, helping the Mavericks to an 8–3 lead. The Lions responded with a brief run, narrowing the margin to 11–9, but Avery Klein steadied MSU with a kill from the right side. The Mavericks then extended their advantage with a balanced stretch of offense, as Rosenberg and Satori added kills while Ellie Kline anchored the defense with key digs. Up 22–16, Minnesota State scored three of the final four points, with Rosenberg finishing the set 25–17 on a cross-court swing.

In the third set, Missouri Southern jumped out to a quick 6–3 lead. The Mavericks responded with a 7–2 run fueled by Kern and Rosenberg, reclaiming a 10–8 advantage. The teams traded sideouts through the middle stages, with neither side able to separate by more than three points. Late in the frame, the Lions capitalized on two Maverick errors to pull within one at 22–21. Satori delivered a timely kill, and Rosenberg added another from the left pin. A final Missouri Southern attack error sealed the 25–21 win and the sweep.

Match Two: Minnesota State 3, Christian Brothers 0
The Mavericks carried their momentum into the evening contest, defeating Christian Brothers in straight sets.

In the opening set, Minnesota State built an early 7–5 lead behind kills from Rosenberg and Klein, but Christian Brothers answered with a short run to move in front 12–10. From there, Kern took over in the middle, registering three kills in a five-point span to swing momentum back to the Mavericks. The set remained close late, tied at 22–22, before a kill from Rosenberg and a service ace by Kline created separation. MSU closed it out 25–23 after forcing a final attack error.

The second set mirrored the first, with neither team leading by more than three points at any stage. Minnesota State found itself trailing 18–16 before mounting a critical rally. Satori sparked the run with back-to-back aces, and Lester connected with Kern for a quick middle attack to put MSU back on top 20–19. After trading points down the stretch, the Mavericks faced a 24–24 tie. Rosenberg delivered under pressure with a kill and Klein followed on the next rally with a swing to secure the 26–24 victory and a two-set lead.

Minnesota State controlled the third set from the opening serve, building an early lead and maintaining momentum throughout. Satori's serving run, highlighted by two aces and a kill from Rosenberg, helped the Mavericks jump ahead 9–3. From there, Lester kept the offense balanced, setting quick attacks to Kern in the middle and finding Klein to extend the margin to 16–7. With the advantage firmly in hand, Kern sealed the match with her final kill of the night to complete the 25–14 victory.

Phelps said the team "had a very solid day today. Our offense started coming together in the first match against a good Missouri Southern team." He added that against Christian Brothers, "we were able to close out the first two sets strong and played very well in the third to finish the day."

Minnesota State concludes play at the Miner Volleyball Tournament on Saturday with a 12 p.m. match against Northwestern Oklahoma State at Gibson Arena.