Volleyball opens with sweep over Dixie State

Thursday, September 5

St. George, Utah

7 p.m. MTN

St. Cloud State

1-0

Dixie State

0-1

St. Cloud State

Dixie State

Dual-sport athlete Erin Navratil recorded a team-leading 14 kills in the Huskies win over Dixie State.

Photo by: Maddie MacFarlane

9/5/2019 10:14:00 PM | Volleyball

Box Score

ST. GEORGE, UTAH – The mountains were calling the St. Cloud State University volleyball team Thursday evening, and the Huskies certainly answered the mountains call. The team was completely dominant in its season opener against Dixie State University at the 2019 Desert Garden Inn by Wyngate Classic, as St. Cloud State swept its host 3-0 (25-20, 25-17, 25-22) to kick start the 2019 season.

The Huskies got off to a hot start in Utah, as they wasted no time taking the first set by a final score of 25-20. In fact, St. Cloud State jumped out to a quick 9-2 lead thanks to an ace from Taylor Olstad (Eagan, Minn. / Eagan) and kills from Rachel Houle (Stillwater, Minn. / Stillwater), Marah Mulso (Marshall, Minn. / Marshall) and Erin Navratil (Albany, Minn. / Albany) and went on a 5-2 run over the next seven points to take a convincing 14-5 lead over Dixie State.

If the final score is any indicator, the Trailblazers did not fold, as they battled their way back into the opening set, eventually whittling the Huskies lead to 20-15. However, five was the closest the host team would get to St. Cloud State, as the visitors closed with a kill from Halle Hughes (Mankato, Minn. / Mankato West) to take the opener by a score of 25-20.

That kill from Hughes set the tone for the second set, as the Huskies overcame an early deficit to win by a final score of 25-17. St. Cloud State outplayed the Trailblazers in several statistical categories, as the team's stingy defense held Dixie State to just nine kills in the second set while racking up 14 of its own. Leading the way was none other than sophomore outside Linsey Rachel (Maple Lake, Minn. / Maple Lake), who tallied six of her 13 kills in the second set, including the definitive game winner.

The Huskies looked to make quick work of the Trailblazers in set number three, as they led by an average of four points throughout the first half of the final set. Like in the opener, though, Dixie State was not about to surrender. After St. Cloud State took a 16-11 lead, the Trailblazers charged ahead and won three straight points, forcing Huskies head coach Chad Braegelmann to use a time out. Out of the time out, Rachel provided much needed back-to-back kills, ending Dixie State's rally, if only for a moment.

Rachel's kills gave St. Cloud State a four-point cushion and an 18-14 lead in the third set. The two teams would then proceed to trade points, until the Trailblazers again managed to cut the Huskies lead to two points at 20-18. St. Cloud State's leadership showed the brightest at that point, as the juniors and seniors guided the Huskies to victory late in the set. Junior Navratil came up with two kills to put St. Cloud State ahead 22-20 before Mulso sealed the deal with a kill from the middle to help the Huskies open the season with a quick three-set sweep.

Navratil was the team's top offensive player Thursday evening, as she racked up a team-leading 14 kills while committing just six errors. Rachel was not far behind, as she opened the season with a double-double thanks to her 13 kills and 16 digs.

Junior setter Maddy Torve (Loretta, Minn. / Heritage Christian Academy) piloted St. Cloud State's offense, as she opened her third season with an impressive 40 assists and additionally recorded a double-double with 10 digs of her own. Senior libero Clara Krenz (Oakdale, Minn. / North St. Paul) continued her ascension up the record books with a team-leading 23 digs in the season opener.

With the victory, St. Cloud State opens the season with a perfect 1-0 record and a 0-0 mark in NSIC play. The Huskies will resume play on Friday, September 6 when they take on Northern Nazarene University and Colorado Christian in a doubleheader at Dixie State University in St. George, Utah. First serve against Northern Nazarene is scheduled for 1 p.m. MTN while the team's second match of the day will start at roughly 5 p.m. MTN.