In a tightly contested five-set match, the No. 16 University of Minnesota Duluth Volleyball Team (10-1, 3-1 NSIC) was edged out by No. 14 Wayne State College (10-2, 4-0 NSIC), 3-2, Friday night at Rice Auditorium. The Bulldogs claimed wins in the first two sets 23-25, 27-25, but were unable to stave off the Wildcats' comeback with 19-25, 25-27 and 11-15 losses in the final three sets.   
 
Junior Madeline Guetzkow led five Bulldogs in double-figure kills with a career-high 22 kills and added a career-best 21 digs, while freshman Mollie Rupp also had career-highs with 16 kills and 19 digs. Senior Kylie Broten and sophomore Xada Johnson each had 13 kills and junior Paige Decker added 11 kills for the visitors.  
 
Ava Jones orchestrated the offense with a career-high 64 assists and Madison Reed had a career-best 33 digs. With her 64 assists against the Wildcats, Jones is just one assist away from securing her 1,000th career assist.
 
UMD totaled 107 digs in the contest, its most in a single match since Oct. 28, 2006 when it tallied 108 digs vs. Augustana. The total also ties for the sixth most in a five-set match in NCAA Division II this season.  
 
The Bulldogs took an early lead with kills by Decker and Guetzkow. As the set progressed, Guetzkow continued to be a focal point, contributing crucial kills that kept the Bulldogs ahead. Despite pressure from the Wildcats, who briefly tied the score at 15, the Bulldogs continued to respond, with a service ace by Reed extending their advantage. The set concluded with a service ace from Guetzkow sealing a 25-23 victory for the Bulldogs in the opening set.
 
UMD opened the second set with significant momentum, as Jones delivered a service ace to start the scoring. Decker and Rupp contributed key kills to keep the score tight against the Wildcats. The set saw the Bulldogs maintain a slight edge with contributions from Johnson and Broten, while service aces by Georgia Koscielak and Guetzkow helped them extend their lead. Despite a late rally by the Wildcats that tied the score at 24-24, the Bulldogs regained control with kills from Guetzkow and Rupp. They would go on to secured the set with a 27-25 victory after Johnson's final kill.
 
The Maroon and Gold opened the third set with a swift 4-0 run, highlighted by a kill from Johnson and a block by Guetzkow and Decker. The Bulldogs extended their lead to 10-5 with contributions from Broten and a service ace by Koscielak. Despite a strong start, the Bulldogs faced resistance as the Wildcats rallied to tie the set at 13-13. The set remained tightly contested as both teams traded points, with Broten securing crucial kills to keep the score even at 15-15. However, Wayne State capitalized on a series of errors to pull ahead, ultimately winning the set with a 25-19 victory.
 
After the Bulldogs fell in the fourth set, the two teams had to duke it out into the fifth set. UMD narrowed an early deficit with kills from Johnson and Guetzkow, bringing the score to 5-5. However, Wayne State responded with consecutive points to move ahead 8-5. The Bulldogs continued to battle back, with Broten and Guetzkow contributing kills to keep the game within reach at 9-11. Despite their efforts, the Wildcat offense extended their advantage to 14-10. Guetzkow added another kill, but WSC would go on to win the set and the match with a final score of 15-11.
 
Looking ahead, the Bulldogs face Augustana University (SD) on Saturday, Sept. 27. First serve is at 5 p.m. at the Elmen Center in Sioux Falls, S.D.