FAIRBANKS, ALA. - After falling 17-25 in the first set the Minot State University volleyball team was able to win a 3-2 series against the University of Alaska Fairbanks (0-1) to start their season 1-0 and give head coach Ben Kaszeta his first win.
 
The Beavers were able to come back strong in the second set winning 25-18. After splitting the third and fourth sets in back and fourth style the Nanooks forced a fifth and final set to determine the match.

"It was a great start to the season," Kaszeta said. "After the first game jitters our team played much better. The Fairbanks squad was very well coached and [Sam Harthun] was a real threat."

Harthun ended the match with 16 kills and nine digs. Compare that to Mallory Sall's (Sr. Port Coquitlam, British Columbia)16 kills and 12 digs both sides had a player that could do it all. Sall added three served aces to round out her game.  
 
"All four of our graduating kids played like upperclassmen," Kaszeta said. "I thought Mallory's poise, Taylor [Butter's] consistency and smart play alonng with Shaunessy [Dauwalder] and Tarah [Dabovich]'s relentless pursuit it was a great match to watch.

"Even when we were not passing well both our middles made an impact on the game, which is a testament to how hard they play."

Butters (Jr., Spokane Valley, Wash.) finished second on the team in both kills (15) and total blocks (3). Dabovich (Sr., Phoenix, Ariz.) led the team in blocks with four and also added 10 kills while Dauwalder (Jr., Stanley, N.D.) got nine kills in on just 16 attempts. 
 
When the teams switched sides on the court in the fifth set Minot State trailed 6-8. Outscoring the opposition nine to four the Beavers we able to clinch the set 15-12.

Freshmen Kelsey Dewulf (S, Huntley, Ill.) and Logan Desorcy (L, St. Andrews, Manitoba) made instant impacts on the team. Dewulf set up the MSU attack with 46 assists while Desorcy led the team defensively with 19 digs. 

"I am extremely proud of the ladies," Kaszeta said. "They are really trying to make positive changes. This was a great team effort and a good way to start the season." 
 
Minot State will play two games in the University of Alaska Fairbanks Nanook Classic on September 5. The first game will be played against St. Mary's University (0-1) at 4:15 p.m. followed by a game against Saint Joseph's College (1-0) at 8 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.

– GO BEAVERS –