MINOT, N.D – The Minot State University volleyball team dropped three sets to Minnesota Crookston at home due to poor passing and serving, something the team has been working on in practice.

Practice isn't a game. Head coach Ben Kaszeta knows that. He also knows he needs to create added pressure in to make practice more like an in game experience.

"We do it well in practice," Kaszeta said about his team's ability to pass and serve. "But we don't do it well under pressure."

With 27 attack errors compare to 35 kills Minot State (3-9, 0-5) struggled to get their offense running smoothly against Minnesota Crookston (11-2, 4-1).

"We didn't execute our game plan," Kaszeta said. "We knew their weak spots and didn't pass well enough to hit their weak spots all the time."

The only player for MSU to end the match with an attack percentage higher than .150 was Shaunessy Dauwalder, who ended with a percentage of .400 hitting seven kills.

Matching Dauwalder with seven kills was Taylor Butters, who added one solo block and two assisted blocks to lead the team with nine points.

Even though Minot State played in two five-set matches this week, including one against Bemidji State that finished just 18 hours before this match began Kaszeta wasn't prepared to let anyone off the hook, including himself.

"I don't make excuses," Kaszeta said. "I just don't think we took care of what we needed to. A lot of the simple things we missed out on. We need to push a little harder and get ready for the next one."

The next one will come against St. Cloud State as Minot State heads back on the road October 2. That match is scheduled to begin at 7 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.