The #16 University of Minnesota Duluth volleyball team opened the quarterfinal round of the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference (NSIC) tournament with a 3-1 win over the #5 Southwest Minnesota State University Mustangs tonight.
Set One: UMD (25) - SMSU (17)
UMD didn't exactly get off to the start they wanted, giving up the first three points of the match with two attack errors. The two teams would go blow for blow for the next chunk of the set, going 6-6 over the next 12 points. The Bulldogs would find their first burst of momentum with a four point run, bookended by a service ace from graduate student setter Madison Gordon. UMD would continue to go toe-to-toe with the Mustangs, going 10-8 over the next 18 points and holding on to a three point lead approaching the end. With the help of another Gordon service ace, UMD would close out the opening set with five straight points.
Set Two: UMD (25) - SMSU (17)
The Bulldogs would carry the momentum into the second set, snatching the opening point and taking a 6-4 lead through the first 10 points. They would trade points for a while before a ball handling error by the Mustangs would kick off another five point run for UMD, giving them a 14-8 lead. This lead mixed with the strong Bulldog defense would keep the Mustangs from putting together any kind of large point runs and keep them to a -.057 hitting percentage by the end of set two.
Set Three: UMD (21) - SMSU (25)
UMD would seem to struggle somewhat in set three, giving up the opening point and being unable to put together more than two points at a time until they were down 8-13. They would find some light in a four point string, but then proceed to go 9-12 through the end of set three.
Set Four: UMD (25) - SMSU (21)
The head to head battle would truly show throughout set four, seeing the two teams stay tied towards the end at 19-19. The Bulldogs would find the answer to the Mustangs, putting together five points with the help of a service ace from senior libero Kaylyn Madison. With a 24-19 lead, SMSU would only be able to find two points for themselves before the final kill would come through for the Bulldogs to end the match.
Top Performers
Junior outside hitter Payton Addink set a new career high for kills tonight, tying for most in the match with 17 total and a UMD best .387 hitting percentage. The Bulldogs had a three way tie for blocks with fifth year senior Hope Schjenken, junior Samantha Paulsen, and senior Grace Daak each recording five. Madison Gordon added another 48 assists to her career total while also tallying four service aces.
Up Next
The Bulldogs head to Wayne, NE next to take on the Concordia St. Paul Golden Bears in the semifinal round of the NSIC tournament. The action will kick off on Saturday, Nov. 18, at 7:00 PM.
