Box Score

ABERDEEN, S.D. – Fifth-ranked Southwest Minnesota State University took advantage of 22 Northern State University attacking errors and put the Wolves down in straight sets, 25-19, 25-20, 25-19, Saturday evening in Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference volleyball action.

The loss dropped NSU to 14-13 overall and 6-12 in NSIC play, while the Mustangs – one of four NSIC squads ranked in the top five in the nation – moved to 24-3 on the year and 16-2 in the league.

The Mustangs rode the strong performance of sophomore middle blocker Mary Groth, who notched a game-high 19 kills and seven blocks.  Nine of those kills came in the night's opening stanza, as she both opened and closed the set with a kill, including the final point of a 9-3 Mustang run to finish out the set.

The Wolves turned the tables in the second set, keeping pace with the Mustangs through the majority of the period before SMSU pulled away from a 19-19 tie with mini 4-0 run that put the Mustangs in control of the net.  After a Cara Carson attacking error gave the Wolves a break, junior Devin Diedrich gave the Mustangs set point then teamed up with freshman Abby Meyers on a block to send the Mustangs into the break with a 2-0 advantage.

SMSU again took control of the action early in the third set, racing out to a 5-1 lead.  The Wolves clawed their way back into contention, tying the set at 10-10 on a Jordan Schaffer kill, but could not hang on to the momentum.  The Mustangs used an 8-2 run to regain the upper hand and never looked back.  Groth again finished off the set and the match with her 19th and final kill.

NSU was led by a 12-kill, 14-dig performance from Schaffer, who hit .282 at the net.  That performance was a lone bright spot in the attack column for the Wolves, as they hit just .068 as a team on the night.  Sophomore libero Ella Campbell had 15 digs to lead four players in double figures in that category.

Saturday's match marked the final home contest for NSU's six seniors.  The Wolves recognized the group, which included Schaffer, Megan Gilbraith, Kayla Ysteboe, Whitney Morsching, Katy Oelke and Britlyn Sturlaugson, prior to the match.

The Wolves close out the 2010 season next weekend at top-ranked Concordia-St. Paul and St. Cloud State.