Box Score #6 Minnesota Duluth 3 #22 Wayne State 2

            In a tightly contested match that featured 37 ties and 17 lead changes, #6 Minnesota Duluth outlasted #22 Wayne State in a Northern Sun Conference volleyball marathon Saturday afternoon by scores of 25-23, 22-25, 25-17, 23-25, 15-12.  UMD is now 23-5 and 16-4 in league play while WSC is 19-11 and 12-8 in NSIC games.
            The visiting Bulldogs handed WSC heartbreak in the first set as UMD rallied from a 22-17 deficit to edge the Wildcats 25-23.  Jaci Brahmer had five kills in the first set while Alyssa Ballenger recorded two service aces.
            The second set was close throughout while the 'Cats took a 21-16 lead forcing a UMD timeout.  After UMD rallied within one at 23-22 to force a WSC timeout, the Wildcats used an Erin Gross kill and UMD attack error to win the second set 25-22.  WSC forced nine UMD attack errors in the set while Brahmer and Gross led the 'Cats in hitting with three kills each.
            Minnesota Duluth turned a 13-13 tie in the third set into a 25-17 set victory, forcing six Wildcat attack errors while hitting .342 with 17 kills.  Brahmer produced six kills on eight attacks in the third set that saw 12 ties and seven lead changes.
            Wayne State built an early 6-1 lead in the fourth set to gain momentum and held off several charges by UMD to finish with a 25-23 set win.  Tarrin Beller, Brahmer and Gross each had three kills while Maddie Duffy and Katie Stephens each had service aces.
            The fifth set featured five ties and two lead changes, but UMD took the lead for good with a pair of service aces from Kate Berg to break a 5-5 tie. 
            Down 8-5, WSC got as close as 10-9 following a Beller kill.  But the Bulldogs reeled off three straight points for a 13-9 lead and Minnesota Duluth finished with the 15-12 fifth set win.
            UMD hit .274 in the match compared to Wayne State's .198.  WSC had two more blocks than UMD (9-7) and recorded seven service aces to four by UMD.
            Jaci Brahmer recorded 20 kills and had a .444 attack percentage to lead the Wildcats followed by Erin Gross with 10 kills.  Sophomore libero Haley Kauth accounted for 16 digs with Katie Stephens adding 10.
            Junior setter Megan Gebhardt was credited with 44 set assists.  Beller recorded a team-high six blocks while Alyssa Ballenger finished with three service aces.
            WSC will play at Concordia-St. Paul in the first round of the NSIC Tournament Wednesday evening slated for a 6 p.m. start in St. Paul, Minnesota.