The No. 18 University of Minnesota Duluth Women's Volleyball Team fell to No. 6 Wayne State College in straight sets, 21-25, 20-25, 19-25, Saturday afternoon at Romano Gymnasium. The Bulldogs moved to 17-4 overall and 10-4 in Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference (NSIC) play, while the Wildcats improved to 20-3 overall and 13-1 in league play.
 
Middle blockers Kylie Broten and Paige Decker paced UMD with 13 kills and two total blocks apiece, while Ava Jones dished out 36 assists. Madison Reed had a match-best 21 digs to lead the defense.
 
The Bulldogs were outhit by the Wildcats .287 to .179, but led the visitors in kills (43-36), assists (43-34) and digs (53-48). WSC edged UMD in service aces (9-3), team blocks (7.0-4.0) and points (51.0-50.0).
 
In the opening set, the two teams remained within two to three points of each other until the Wildcats pulled ahead by four points, 18-14, and forced the Bulldogs to take a timeout. A 4-1 run pulled UMD within two points, 19-21, and two more kills from Broten kept the home team within two points, 21-23. But, WSC closed out the set on a block and an attack error by the Maroon and Gold. Broten and Decker combined for 11 of UMD's 14 kills in the set, with Broten tallying seven and Decker accounting for four.
 
After being tied at 7-7, a 4-1 put the Bulldogs behind 8-11, but they answered back to even the score 12-12 on a block from Decker and Madeline Guetzkow and took its first lead on a kill from Broten. It extended its lead on a kill from Mollie Rupp to force Wayne State into a timeout with the score 15-13 in favor of the Bulldogs. A 5-1 run from the Wildcats put UMD in a three-point hole, 18-21, however, and it was too much for the home team to overcome.
 
The third set was close throughout, with neither team leading by more than three points until a 4-1 run from WSC pulled it ahead by five points, 18-23. A kill from Decker closed the gap to four points, but the Wildcats answered back with two-straight kills to secure the win.  
 
Up next for UMD is a trip to Marshall, Minn., where it will face No. 17 Southwest Minnesota State. The match is set for October 31 at 6 p.m. in the PE Gym.