Minot, N.D. – The Minot State University volleyball team dropped three sets (10-25, 20-25, 14-25) Saturday afternoon against the fifth-ranked Southwest Minnesota State University.
 
The match up seemed to favor the nationally ranked visitors, but the Beavers challenged in the second set as they tied or held a lead four times throughout the set.
 
"We came out in set two and changed the line up a little bit," head coach Ben Kaszeta said. "We were fired up and played harder as well. In game three we played hard too, they just took advantage of us in a few spots."
 
SMSU was able to win the three sets behind highly touted Taylor Reiss who racked up 16 kills.
 
The Beavers were led offensively by freshmen Shelby Spuller and Shae Pedersen who each had five kills. Spuller also added one ace and one block assist to total 6.5 points.
 
Seniors Janelle Nagy and Cindy Pelo led MSU with 14 assists and 13 digs, respectively. Nagy and Pelo's consistency has been something the Beavers have been able to rely on all season.
 
"They are our rock for us," Kaszeta said. "Cindy is a huge rock for us, the way she carries herself and show us how to work hard all the time. It's super important for the team to see that and learn how to match it."
 
Minot State will visit Wayne State and Augustana next weekend on Satuday and Sunday, September 30 and October 1. Those games are scheduled to begin at 7 p.m. and 5:30 p.m., respectively.
 
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.