MANKATO, Minn. – The Minnesota State volleyball team (10-17, 8-11 NSIC) lost to No. 13 Southwest Minnesota State (21-5, 15-4 NSIC) 3-0 on Friday at Taylor Center. Minnesota State hit .129 with 38 kills, while SMSU hit .261 with 48 kills, and the sets finished 21-25, 22-25, 19-25.
Avery Klein led Minnesota State with 11 kills and added eight digs.
Jadyn Lester finished with 28 assists, 11 digs and a team-high five total blocks.
Addison Foor posted six kills, 11 digs and two total blocks.
Olivia Sturgis added six kills while hitting .267 and collected four total blocks.
SET ONE
After Leah Jones opened the set with a kill for SMSU, Minnesota State moved in front 3-1 on a Foor kill, an
Avery Rosenberg kill and a block by Rosenberg and Foor. The Mustangs tied it 4-4, but
Lily Riese answered with two kills around a
Kaelyn Wieland service ace and an Klein kill as the Mavericks built an 8-4 lead. MSU still led 17-12 after another Klein kill before SMSU scored four straight points to pull within 17-16, tied the set at 18-18 and went ahead 20-19 on a Mollie Rupp kill.
Olivia Sturgis and Lester teamed on a block to tie it 20-20, but the Mustangs took the next three points, and despite a
Kyla Klein kill, closed the set 25-21 with a Rupp kill and a block by Lindsay Kruse and Jones.
SET TWO
Minnesota State moved ahead 5-3 early in the second set on an Sturgis kill and a block by Lester and Sturgis, but SMSU later scored four straight points to go up 11-7. The Mavericks answered with four consecutive points of their own, including kills by Lester, Rosenberg and Foor, to tie the set at 11-11. After the Mustangs led 16-14, Minnesota State scored five of the next six points, with
Avery Klein and Sturgis recording kills and
Kyla Klein adding a service ace to put the Mavericks in front 19-17. SMSU responded with five straight points to take a 22-19 lead, and after Minnesota State got back within 24-22, the visitors finished the set 25-22.
SET THREE
In the third set, MSU moved ahead 5-2 on kills by Riese and Sturgis, but the Mustangs worked back to 7-7 and moved in front 8-7 on a Mollie Rupp kill. Foor and Rosenberg kills brought the Mavericks even at 8-8 and 9-9, respectively, before SMSU scored seven straight points, including a Natalie Pilney ace and three Leah Jones kills, to go up 16-9. After SMSU reached 22-13, Minnesota State took four straight points on Foor kill, two
Morgan Bjella aces and a Lester kill to make it 22-17. Rosenberg and
Avery Klein added late kills after SMSU. reached set point, but Jones closed the set for the Mustangs 25-19.
Up next, the Minnesota State volleyball team hosts Sioux Falls on Saturday at 3 p.m. at Taylor Center in Mankato, Minn.
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