(Crookston, Minn.) -- The Minot State University volleyball team battled to the end but fell in a tight match, three sets to two against Minnesota Crookston 25-23, 24-26, 25-23, 18-25, 15-17.   
 
The first set was competitive. Minot State and Minnesota Crookston were battling each other the entire set. With the score tied 2-2, the Beavers put together a 5-0 run led by senior Hayley Swain with two kills, making the score 7-2. Throughout the set, the Beavers continued to maintain the lead until the Golden Eagles went on a 5-0 run themselves to tie it at 16-16. Minot State answered back immediately with a kill from Swain and outside hitter Shelby Spuller to create a 4-0 run for the Beavers, making the score 20-16. Minnesota Crookston fought back, tying the score at 23-23, where a service error from the Eagles and an Emily Falldorf kill secured the victory in the first set for Minot State, 25-23.   

The competitive nature between the two teams continued into the second set. With the score locked at 2-2, Minot State went on an aggressive run where Spuller and Swain had a pair of kills to help the Beavers get the lead. The Golden Eagles did not let the run phase them as they continued to fight. Minnesota Crookston went on a pair of 3-0 runs. Despite this, the Beavers led 14-12. Despite the Minnesota Crookston runs, the Beavers kept their engines running, making sure they continued to have the lead by going on a 4-2 run to extend the lead to 24-19. The Golden Eagles continued to fight and went a 4-0 run before Beaver Head Coach Dana Cordova called a timeout to halt the Golden Eagle momentum. After the timeout, with the Beavers leading 24-23 Minnesota Crookston continued their momentum. Redshirt sophomore Lauren Wallace ended the set with a kill to give UMC the second set, 26-24.   
 
The third set went back and forth with both sides answering each other with runs of their own. Minot State started hot where junior libero Karli Koza and setter Mackenzie Froehlich both had a pair of assists to give the Beavers a 4-0 lead. The Golden Eagles answered back with a couple of 3-0 runs to take a 10-9 lead. Minot State took back the edge with the help of Falldorf, contributing three kills to give the Beavers a 19-14 lead. The two teams continued to battle. Minnesota Crookston would score a pair of points, shrinking the lead to one, but senior leader Spuller stepped up to stop the Minnesota Crookston, getting the set-ending kill to give the Beavers a 2-1 lead in the match after the 25-23 win in set two.
 
The score was 7-6, with Minot State leading at the beginning of the fourth set. The Golden Eagles had an 8-0 run spurred by four points from Wallace that gave UMC a 14-6 lead. At that point, the margin was too wide for Minot State to come back. Minnesota Crookston went on to win the fourth set 25-18.   
 
Throughout the fifth set, it was neck and neck between the two teams. The lead was within two points or less, where neither team had a demanding lead. The Beavers scored the first two points with a pair of kills from Spuller. The Golden Eagles answered back by scoring three points themselves, giving UMC a 3-2 lead. The Beavers called a timeout after being down 13-11. Immediately following the timeout, Minot State went on a 3-0 run taking the lead 14-13, which would cause Minnesota Crookston to use a time out. The Golden Eagles went on and scored after the timeout, but the Beavers answered back with a kill from Swain, retaking the lead, 15-14. Following a Minnesota Crookston timeout, UMC would go on a 3-0 run to end the set 17-15 and give the Golden Eagles a 3-2 victory.   
   
Beaver Tracks   

• Shelby Spuller - 29 Kills (Season High), 11 Digs   
• Mackenzie Froehlich – 51 Assists (Career High), 29 Digs (Career High)   
• Karli Koza – 37 Digs (Career High)   
• Hayley Swain – 19 Kills   
• Quinn Billaney – 19 Digs (Career High)   
• Shae Pedersen – 18 Digs (Ties Career High)   

 
   
UP NEXT   
The Beavers will play their next three matches at home in the Minot State Dome beginning on Oct. 15 at 6:00 p.m. vs. Northern State. They will play two more matches on the week with Concordia University coming to town on Oct. 18 at 5:00 p.m., and Minnesota State the following day on Oct. 19, at 12:00 p.m. 
   
MEDIA: For more information, please contact the Coordinator of Sports Information Josh Van Valkenburg-Gernert.