Box Score MINOT, N.D. – Four hours before the first serve in the Minot State University homecoming volleyball game against Minnesota State Moorhead head coach Ben Kaszeta thought he would be playing without senior standout Mallory Sall due to an ankle injury.

Despite falling in three sets to the Dragons, Sall finished with 11 kills, 19 digs and one solo and two assisted blocks. Sall also ended the game with her second best attack percentage of the year hitting .259 percent.

"Mallory is crucial," Kaszeta said. "She passes all six rotations, she keeps us calm, she holds us accountable, she does everything that senior leader should. She does a great job. Without her on the courts it leaves a really big hole. I was really pleased today at 3 o'clock when the trainers told me she'd be okay to go today. Lifted my spirits immensely. I think it lifted up the whole team's spirits."

Minot State (3-5, 0-1) made mistakes early, but challenged MSU Moorhead (8-1, 1-0) in the third set, but couldn't hang on to win. In the series (20-25, 15-25, 24-26) the Dragons took advantage of those mistakes early and often.

"I think we made a lot of mistakes at inopportune times," said Kaszeta. "Some of the missteps were places where we had momentum built and then we made a silly mistake and they capitalized on every one of them."

In the third set, after a trip to the locker room, the Beavers were able to regroup and gain a 24-23 lead. In what looked to be set-clinching point libero Logan Desorcy (Fr., St. Andrews, Manitoba) crossed the 10-foot line to set the ball creating an error to tie the game at 24 a piece.

"It's one of those points you don't know what happens when you're put in that situation," Kaszeta said. "Losing the first two sets, especially in the second set, making a lot of silly mistakes. So coming out and being disciplined in that third set was awesome to see. That's a testament to our seniors."

With seniors Sall (OH, Port Coquitlam, British Columbia) and Tarah Dabovich (MH, Phoenix, Ariz.) as the most veteran players on the team it was tough for the Beavers to find ways to get both of their offensive leaders the ball.

"We didn't do a good enough job getting the ball to tonight," Kaszeta said. "She is normally one of our best offensive options and tonight we just didn't connect there well enough."

Without Dabovich receiving enoughwell placed passes Shaunessy Dauwalder (Jr., MH, Stanley, N.D.) took over as the second best offensive player for Minot State with nine kills. Dauwalder also had one solo block and six assisted blocks on the night playing in front of the 313 in attendance.

With people in the stands for homecoming and students cheering on the team coach Kaszeta was pleased with the turnout in his first home game in Minot.

"The atmosphere was awesome," Kaszeta said. "Our student body was fabulous. They were fun, they were exciting, they were there. We have to get them to learn to be a little bit louder, but it was great to turn around and see a couple hundred people up in the stands. It was better than I expected."

Kaszeta and his team will be able to enjoy the home crowd again three times next week as the team plays on September 22, 25 and 26 at home.

But before their home stretch, the Beavers must first travel to Northern State to take on the No. 22 Wolves on September 19 at 4 p.m.
 
About Minot State
Minot State University is a member of the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference (NSIC) and NCAA Division II offering 14 men's and women's varsity intercollegiate athletics programs. The NSIC is a premier NCAA DII, 16-member conference featuring teams in North Dakota, South Dakota, Minnesota, Nebraska and Iowa. The Beavers are the only public NCAA Division II institution in the state of North Dakota.