MARSHALL, Minn. - Facing their third straight top-25 opponent, University of Sioux Falls Volleyball dropped a 3-0 decision at No. 5 Southwest Minnesota State on Tuesday night. The Cougars fall to 6-5 on the season with a 0-3 mark in the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference.
 
Jordan Calef paced the Cougars on an off hitting night, finishing with six kills without an error in 14 attempts for a .429 attack percentage while USF combined to hit a season-low .097 mark. Lexi Scott chipped in with seven kills and a pair of blocks.
 
Southwest Minnesota State (8-3, 2-1 NSIC) got off to a fast start in the opening set and ran away to a 25-10 set win. Scott and Bria Barfnecht both recorded two kills but the cougars committed nine errors, three coming on blocks by SMSU.
 
The Cougars kept pace with Southwest Minnesota State in the second set, led by Calef and Scott. The two USF middle blockers had kills to earn USF five of their first seven points. Barfnecht added another kill and Scott dilled two more to tie the set at 13-13. After the Cougars knotted the set, SMSU closed on a 12-3 run for a two-set lead in the match with a 25-16 win.
 
In the match-deciding third set, USF trailed by double digits before surging back to cut their deficit to four points. Abby Feyereisen teamed up with Makenna Rockeman to start a 5-1 run, which included kills by Feyereisen and Sydney Schaap. SMSU won three of the next points, but USF responded with kills from Rockeman and Aubrey Milne before Schaap and Scott combined for a block.
 
Cutting the deficit to its smallest since the early stages of the set, Milne hit a second kill and Rockeman and Scott teamed up for another block to put USF down just 20-16. Despite the overall 11-5 run, USF's comeback would end with three straight points by the Mustangs and five of the final seven for a 25-18 win.
 
The Cougars continue their three-match road trip at Minot State and University of Mary on Sept. 23 and 24.