MINOT, N.D. – The Minot State University volleyball team fell to No. 10 Northern State 3-1 (25-21, 17-25, 9-25, 15-25) Friday evening after doing something for the first time in almost three years.
 
The last time the Beavers won a set against a ranked opponent at home was November 16, 2013 against No. 20 Wayne State College. It was the final game of a season in which the team finished with a 12-18 record, MSU's best finish in the last five seasons.
 
Last weekend, Minot State was also able to take the first set from a high level team, Fort Hays State, who is now receiving votes in the top 25 coaches poll. Team's may be underestimating the Beavers, who have just two returning players, but head coach Ben Kaszeta has a different theory.
 
"I don't know if it's other teams not expecting stuff from us as much as it is us executing," he said. "I thought in game one we stayed pretty even keel. We didn't let the few mistakes we made bother us. We came out focused; we came out hitting well and passing well."
 
The Wolves showed why they are the No. 10 team in the country winning the next three rounds by outscoring the Beavers 75-41. There were many bright spots for MSU, however, including freshman Emily Falldorf who recorded nine kills while committing just one error for an attack percentage of .471.
 
"Emily is very versatile," Kaszeta said. "She can hit really well off one foot so we move her around all over the place. To get nine kills and have that high of a hitting percentage, especially against Northern, is awesome. It shows how much of an upside she has."
 
Brileigh Boyce also provided many highlights in the match as she earned her first start of the season, coming back from an injury suffered in the preseason. Boyce matched Falldorf's nine kills as the team leaders in that category.
 
"We love having Brileigh's leadership on the court," Kaszeta said. "She's always high energy, plays with a huge amount of passion and does it with a smile on her face. She makes great shots on the court and took advantage of the shots she was supposed to."
 
Janelle Nagy also earned the coach's praise as one of the more versatile players on the court, and with the team's new strategy this season, the transfer is excelling. Against the Wolves she recorded 16 assists, seven kills, six digs, two aces and two blocks.
 
The Beavers were led in assists by sophomore Kelsey Dewulf who had 17. Senior Cindy Pelo led the team with 23 digs.
 
Minot State will play its final nonconference game of the season against Briercrest on Sunday, September 18 at 11 a.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.