Lucky No. 11! Volleyball wins 11th straight with sweep of MSU

Friday, September 27

Mankato, Minn.

6 p.m.

St. Cloud State

11-0

Minnesota State-Mankato

9-2

St. Cloud St.

Minnesota St.

Photo by: Kylie Macziewski

Lucky No. 11! Volleyball wins 11th straight with sweep of MSU

9/27/2019 8:31:00 PM | Volleyball

Box Score

MANKATO, MINN. – Eleven: the natural number following 10 and preceding 12. The first real repdigit. The smallest positive integer requiring three syllables. The current version of the Apple iPhone, now sold in stores everywhere.

Oh, and the number of matches the St. Cloud State University volleyball team has won this season.

The road wasn't supposed to get easier for the #15 ranked Huskies, as they were set to face two more nationally ranked opponents in (RV) Minnesota State University and #7 Concordia-St. Paul on the road this weekend. Despite the odds stacked against it, St. Cloud State couldn't have asked for a better start to the weekend, as the team stayed perfect with a strong 3-0 (25-21, 25-23, 25-14) win over Minnesota State in Mankato, Minnesota Friday evening.

The Huskies once again showed resiliency in their win over the Mavericks, as they needed comebacks to take both the first and second sets in Mankato. In the first, St. Cloud State led by as many as three points and trailed by as many as three points in the first half of the set, taking an early 6-5 lead before falling behind 12-9. However, timely hitting from Chloe Dousette (St. Paul, Minn. / Cretin-Derham Hall) and Erin Navratil (Albany, Minn. / Albany) kept the Huskies in the match, and allowed them to tie Minnesota State at 12-12. St. Cloud State then took a 15-12 lead it would never relinquish as a bad set by the Mavericks gave the Huskies their first lead of the set since the opening points, while a kill from Marah Mulso (Marshall, Minn. / Marshall) gave them a comfortable 15-12 boost.

Though Minnesota State would cut into St. Cloud State's lead, the three-point cushion proved to be enough for the visitors, as the team went on to win the set by a final score of 25-21. Things, though, were much tighter in the second set despite the Huskies early 5-1 lead. Thanks to strong serving from senior libero Clara Krenz (Oakdale, Minn. / North St. Paul), St. Cloud State was able to jump out to an early lead over the Mavericks, and it looked like all things points to a smooth, easy win for the Huskies. That was certainly not the case, as Minnesota State slowly but surely chipped away at the St. Cloud State lead and eventually took one of its own at 11-10.

It looked like the one point deficit was nothing the Huskies couldn't handle, as they quickly tied things up at 11-11 on a kill by Abby Templin (Cold Spring, Minn./ ROCORI). It was the Mavericks turn, though, to go on a run, as they jumped ahead 14-11 before taking a 17-13 lead in the latter stages of the set.

St. Cloud State certainly wasn't deterred by the four-point deficit, as strong serving from Linsey Rachel (Maple Lake, Minn. / Maple Lake) cut the Minnesota State lead to 17-16. Still, the Mavericks always seemed just one step ahead of the Huskies, as they always managed to jump one or two points ahead anytime St. Cloud State gained some momentum. That all changed when the teams reached the 20 point mark. With Minnesota State up 21-19, the Huskies scored two consecutive points thanks to kills from Mulso and Rachel to tie things up at 21-21. Though the Mavericks won the next point to go up 22-21, St. Cloud State won two consecutive points, taking a 23-22 lead on a block by Maddy Torve (Loretto, Minn. / Heritage Christian Academy) and Halle Hughes (Mankato, Minn. / Mankato West). The Huskies then sealed the set with kills from Rachel and Dousette, allowing them to take a 2-0 lead in the match with a 25-23 set two victory.

The third set wasn't nearly as cantankerous for St. Cloud State fans, as the Huskies cruised to a 25-14 victory to win the match by a final score of 3-0. Reigning NSIC Player of the Week Rachel was once again the top player for the Huskies, as she led the team in kills (19), digs (16) and aces (3), and recorded her ninth double-double of the season. Seniors Templin and Mulso also impressed Friday evening, as they each tallied seven kills apiece.

Torve once again piloted St. Cloud State's offensive to victory 41 assists in the sweep, while Krenz finished the night with 15 digs and five assists.

With the win, the Huskies overall record improves to 11-0, tying the best start to a season in program history (St. Cloud State went 11-0 in 1985). The Huskies will face, perhaps, their toughest challenge of the season on Saturday, as they take on #7 Concordia-St. Paul at 1 p.m. in St. Paul, Minnesota.