Box Score

MOORHEAD, Minn. - The Northern State volleyball squad extended their win streak to six - including five straight on the road - in a mid-week thriller over Minnesota State Moorhead Tuesday night in Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference volleyball action.  NSU rallied from two sets down to take the win by set scores of 21-25, 20-25, 25-22, 31-29, 15-11.

NSU moves to 12-6 overall and 7-5 in NSIC play with the win, their second of the season over the Dragons.  MSUM, which was ranked 19th in the country at the time of the last meeting and receiving votes up until the most recent edition of the AVCA Top 25, slipped to 12-9 overall and 4-8 in the loop.

NSU faced the brink of elimination on more than on occasion.  The Wolves dropped the first two sets of the night and faced an uphill battle to get back into contention.  After fighting off the Dragons in the third set, the Wolves faced three match points in the fourth set, but fought off all three.  A block by senior Kaleinani Kabalis and freshman Cari McGarvie gave NSU a set point before McGarvie put down the match-tying kill to give the Wolves the 31-29 win and force the match to the decisive fifth set.

Still controlling the momentum of the comeback, NSU raced out to an early 5-1 lead in the fifth and never looked back.  The Dragons staved off three NSU match points late, but it was not enough as freshmen frontliners Jussy Tuscherer and Kelsey Chambers finished off the match with NSU's 13th block of the night.

NSU senior Chelsea Chavez proved to be a thorn in the Dragons' side once again, hammering 14 kills on 18 attempts with just one error, going .722 at the net.  Chavez was also in on seven of the team's 13 blocks.  Kabalis led all players offensively, finishing the night with 24 kills, two service aces and 22 digs.  Tuscherer added 11 kills and four blocks off the bench for the Wolves.

Freshman setter Drew Smith, fresh off her first career NSIC Setter of the Week honor, dished out 61 assists for the Wolves.  She also had 17 digs and four blocks in another solid all-around performance. 

The Dragons put four players in double figures in kills, led by Annie Palmquist's 22.  Senior libero Katy Ness picked up 43 digs to help keep the Wolves under .200 as a team.

The Wolves return home next weekend and close out the regular season playing seven of their last eight within the confines of their home court.  That stretch begins Friday night when NSU plays host to No. 18 Wayne State in a 7 p.m. match-up.  The Wolves also host Augustana on Saturday in a 6:30 p.m. contest.