Box Score MINOT, N.D. – Minot State University proved it could play with one of the best teams in the nation.

Concordia University St. Paul proved why it deserves the No. 1 ranking in NCAA Division II.

The Beavers pushed the Golden Bears Friday, but CU responded with a big run in set 4 to put away Minot State 3-1 in Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference volleyball at the Minot State Dome.

"First of all, Concordia is a fantastic team and it's fun to have a team of that caliber play at your home," said MISU head coach Travis Ward. "I can't complain about how our group played and I wish things would have ended a little bit different. We had a chance to win two sets and we should be going to five right now. I'm really pleased with a lot of the things the girls did tonight. I think they did a fantastic job defensively and really slowed Concordia down on things they really haven't been slowed down on this year."

After falling 25-17 in the first set, the Beavers (9-13 overall, 5-8 NSIC) did their best work in sets 2 and 3. Minot State led 23-17 in set 2, but tightened up over the final 10 points to fall 26-24. MISU battled through set 3 to earn a 25-23 win in the third behind a diversified attack as four different players earned kills in the Beavers' final five points.

The win in set 3 marked the first set the Beavers have won over a ranked team since joining the demanding NSIC, falling it their previous 29. Minot State has played10 matches so far against ranked opponents and a staggering eight ranked in the top 10 in NSIC play in its two-year affiliation with the league.

"I thought we did a better job making decisions and not having that first ball error to force them to really win points, and as we saw tonight they are really good at winning points," Ward said. "That said, I think we put a lot of pressure on them. Concordia prepares well and I can't say enough good things about their program, but I think we did about as good a job as we could against them and really gave ourselves a chance to push them to the brink."

Minot State also jumped out to a 6-1 lead in set 4 behind kills by Lauren Dunkle (Fr., OH, Aurora, Colo.), Kelsey Wingo (Sr., MH, Twain Harte, Calif.) and Mallory Sall (So., OH, Port Coquitlam, British Columbia) and a service ace by Jen Dixon (Jr., OH, Brandon, Manitoba).

But the Golden Bears (21-1, 13-0) showed why it is the best team in the country, buckling down for the 25-15 win, hitting .421 in the set. When CU needed a big point, they turned to Kayla Koenecke, who finished with 17 kills and a salty .412 hitting percentage.

Koenecke was joined in double figures in kills by Emily McDonough (20) and Erienne Lauersdorf (18) and got a match-high 64 assists from Amanda Konetchy.

Minot State countered with three in double figures in kills as well as Dixon and Sall finished with 14 each and Tarah Dabovich (So., MH, Phoenix, Ariz.) added 10. Emily Byrne (Jr., S, Reno, Nev.) dished out 44 assists and Ashley Heavenor (So., L, Cochrane, Alberta) paced the defense with 15 digs.

Minot State returns to the Dome for another NSIC match, playing host to Minnesota State Saturday at 3 p.m.