For the seventh time in program history the University of Minnesota Duluth will compete in the NCAA Division II regional championship after stunning Southwest Minnesota State University in straight sets Friday night. The Bulldogs didn't need to settle things in the fifth set tonight for the first time in four matches as it silenced the Mustang-heavy crowd in the PE Gym. They advanced onward to play Concordia University, St. Paul tomorrow afternoon at 3:00 p.m.

UMD moves to 24-19 all-time in the NCAA tournament and will play in its first regional final since 2014.

UMD and Concordia-St. Paul will collide for the ninth time in the NCAA tournament and the sixth time in the regional final. The Golden Bears are 3-2 in those matches. Each team won earlier in the season in the two previous meetings. The Bulldogs won in the regular season. The Golden Bears got their victory in the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference tournament. The winner will advance to the Elite Eight in Pensacola, Fla.

The defense was astounding once again as the Bulldogs denied the Mustang attack throughout the match. SMSU hit .179 for the match and was held to -.061 and .162 hitting percentages in the second and third sets. UMD outblocked SMSU 8.0-7.0 and out dug them 55-44. The Bulldogs got in the way of the attacking angles and got a piece of most of the attacks. They controlled the ball well enough to hit .307 for the match. UMD has hit above .300 for the 20th time this season, thanks to sophomore setter Emily Torve's 40 assists and four-kill effort. 
 
Three players compiled at least 10 digs with sophomore libero Keena Seiffert leading the pack with a match-high 14 digs. Freshman outside hitter Kate Berg had 13 and junior right side hitter Sarah Kelly threw in 10 digs as well. Sophomore middle blocker Abby Thor helped out at the net, recording five blocks to pace all players. The UMD block gave the Mustangs fits all night long including the two-time AVCA All-Region Player of the Year Taylor Reiss. Reiss had 10 kills on 37 swings and hit .081 for the night, her second lowest total of the season.

Kelly was explosive from an offensive standpoint as well. The AVCA All-Region First Team selection blasted 13 kills and only one error for an absurd .600 hitting percentage. Kelly has owned SMSU the last two matches. She hit .613 in their previous match as she collected 23 kills in that match. Junior outside hitter Makenzie Morgen returned from a rough outing the night before to smash home 12 kills. The second team All-NSIC member also contributed eight digs and three blocks. 

"I couldn't be prouder of this group tonight," said head coach Jim Boos. "They did everything we asked of them. They played with intensity and energy. They battled for every point and went runs occurred, they put their foot back down and made a mini run of their own to move back ahead. The defining thing for us was our defense. Our block did a great job of slowing them down and we dug a ton of balls as well."
 
The Mustangs built an early lead in the first set and held on to that advantage for much of the set. The first set was tied 11 times before UMD could finally gain the lead. Thor rifled down back-to-back open looks to tie it at 20 then got in the way of an attack to force it long to give the Bulldogs a 21-20 lead. They wouldn't let the set slip away as Morgen burned the ball past the Mustang defense for her fifth kill of the set.

The Bulldogs took the crowd out of the second set with a convincing 25-15 set win. Thor was the leader behind a pair of double blocks with Morgen and Torve to boost UMD up 11-5. Following a timeout, Berg made two acrobatic, diving saves and thumped home a kill from the backrow as the Mustangs continued to stutter. The set got out of hand as the Bulldog lead ballooned and the set ended with Morgen compiling the last three UMD kills.
 
UMD wanted to end SMSU while it was clinging for life. The Bulldogs once again jumped out to a 9-2 lead. However, the Mustangs woke up and thundered back to eventually to tie it at 14-14. It was the defense that righted the ship as they forced three straight errors at 15-15 to regain the set advantage. Morgen would give UMD match point and the match ended on the fourth match point on a service error.