DULUTH, Minn. – The seventh-ranked University of Minnesota Duluth volleyball team had eight match points, but Northern State University (S.D.) fought them all off to rally and defeat the Bulldogs in five sets Friday night at Romano Gymnasium in Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference (NSIC) action.
 
How It Happened
The Bulldogs fell behind 14-8 in the opening set before Paige Decker recorded a pair of kills as part of a 6-1 run to get back within one. Three consecutive kills by Cianna Selbitschka gave UMD its first lead of the set at 19-17. The Bulldogs then had two set points, but the Wolves (10-1, 3-0 NSIC) stayed alive, which was the theme of the match to tie it at 24-24. However, after a Northern State attack error, a Decker service ace gave UMD the set at 26-24.
 
The second set was tight until Minnesota Duluth recorded four straight points thanks to a pair of kills by Hope Schjenken. The Bulldogs scored the final four points of the set to go up two sets 25-19.
 
The third set featured both teams going on spurts and a Grace Daak kill made it 24-21 Bulldogs. UMD had three chances to end the match in three sets, but Northern State earned the next three points to tie it at 24-24. A Samantha Paulsen kill followed, giving the Bulldogs another match point, but the Wolves again got the next three points to take the set and extend match 27-25.
 
Northern State carried that momentum into the fourth set and led for much of the set until Selbitschka caught fire with three points as part of a 6-1 run as the Bulldogs took a 21-20 lead. A Wolves error gave the Bulldogs another match point at 24-23, but again Northern State registered three straight kills to take the set 26-24.
 
Back-to-back aces by Emma Kujawa gave the Bulldogs a 5-2 lead in the fifth-and-deciding set. The Wolves battled back and took a 9-7 lead. However, a pair of Paulsen kills made it 14-11 Minnesota Duluth, giving the Bulldogs three more match points. Unfortunately, like the previous two sets, Northern State rattled off the final five points to take the match 16-14.
 
Top Performers
Decker led the Bulldogs with a season-high 19 kills. Selbitschka added 17 kills, Paulsen 12 kills, Daak 11 kills and Schjenken finished with 10 kills and a team-best .333 hitting percentage. Selbitschka added 12 digs for her fifth double-double of the season. Kaylyn Madison finished with a career-high 30 digs, while Madison Gordon had a double-double herself with a season-high 59 assists and a career-high 17 digs.
 
Up Next
The Bulldogs (9-2, 2-1 NSIC) are back in action tomorrow (Saturday) when they host Minnesota State University Moorhead for Parent's Day at Romano Gymnasium. Action is slated to begin at 2 p.m.