MANKATO, Minn. – The Minnesota State volleyball team (10-14, 8-8 NSIC) lost to No. 9 Concordia-St. Paul (19-5, 14-2 NSIC) 3-0 on Tuesday, falling 18-25, 21-25, 17-25 at Taylor Center. The Mavericks finished with 33 kills and a .158 hitting percentage, while the Golden Bears totaled 41 kills and hit .248.
Avery Klein led the Mavericks with nine kills and added seven digs
. Jadyn Lester finished with 26 assists and five digs.
Olivia Sturgis recorded eight kills while hitting .400 and added two block assists.
Addison Foor collected a team-high 10 digs and added six kills.
SET ONE
After Klein and
Avery Rosenberg kills helped the Mavericks stay even early, Audrey Waterman served back-to-back aces during a three-point Concordia-St. Paul burst that moved the visitors in front 5-2. The Mavericks worked back within 9-8 behind Lester and Foor kills and a Golden Bear attack error, but CSP took the next six points, including two Kelsey Cooper kills and a Makenna Nold kill, to extend the lead to 15-8. MSU got kills from Foor, Klein and
Lily Riese as they cut the gap to 18-13, but CSP pushed back to 22-14 with consecutive Cooper kills. After Sturgis' kill and
Morgan Bjella's service ace helped the Mavericks reach 23-17, the Golden Bears closed the set 25-18 on Nold's kill.
SET TWO
MSU worked through a point-for-point start and moved ahead 9-7 when Bjella served an ace after a Foor kill and a Concordia-St. Paul attack error. CSP erased an 11-9 deficit with four straight points, including an Audrey Waterman ace and a Mehlayna Straub kill, before the Mavericks responded with three straight points, including kills by Riese and Klein, to lead 14-13. The teams continued trading points to 17-17, but the Golden Bears scored the next three on two Makenna Nold kills and an Audrey Waterman kill to go in front 20-17. The Mavericks closed within 23-21 on consecutive Klein kills, but Straub put Concordia-St. Paul at set point and Kaydence White finished the second set at 25-21.
SET THREE
Minnesota State trailed 4-2 early in the third set before Riese put down a kill and
Kaelyn Wieland served them through a run to an 11-4 lead, including an ace, four Sturgis kills and a block by Sturgis and Klein. Concordia-St. Paul stopped the run and later erased a 13-7 deficit, scoring nine straight points behind Marta Leeland's serve to move in front 16-13.
Addison Foor's kill and a CSP service error helped the Mavericks get back within 18-16, but Concordia-St. Paul answered with six straight points to reach 24-16. Rosenberg extended the set with a kill before CSP closed it 25-17.
Up next, the Mavericks volleyball team visits Augustana on Friday, Oct. 30 at Elmen Center in Sioux Falls, S.D.
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