MANKATO, Minn. – The University of Sioux Falls Volleyball team delivered one of the biggest wins in program history tonight, taking down No. 22 Minnesota State in a five-set battle (25–23, 20–25, 25–21, 17–25, 15–9) inside the Taylor Center. With the victory, the Cougars improved to 20–9 and advanced to the NSIC Tournament Semifinals for just the second time ever, joining the 2018 squad.
The win also marked USF's fifth ranked victory of the 2025 season and extended their remarkable winning streak to 10 straight matches.
Match Summary
The Cougars came out composed and fearless in a packed postseason atmosphere, taking the opening set 25–23 behind timely kills from Sadie Voss, Courtney Holsteen, and Abby Haus. After MSU evened the match in the second, USF responded by controlling the third set with a .324 hitting percentage and steady play at the pins.
Forced to a decisive fifth frame after the Mavericks surged in set four, the Cougars seized momentum early with back-to-back kills from Voss and a service ace from Elise Gillen. From there, USF never trailed, closing the fifth 15–9 to secure the upset.
USF finished the night with 64 kills, 88 digs, and 6 blocks, while hitting .251 as a team in one of their grittiest postseason performances to date.
Cougar Leaders
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Sadie Voss – 16 kills, 23 digs, 4 assists (16.5 points)
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Abby Haus – 16 kills on .382 hitting, 3 digs, 1 block (16.5 points)
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Courtney Holsteen – 13 kills on .379 hitting, 3 digs, 1 block (13.5 points)
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Ella Walker – 8 kills, .375 hitting, 1 block (8.5 points)
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Haley Wolfe – 7.5 points, including 5 blocks and 3 kills
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Elise Gillen – 24 assists, 10 digs, 3 aces
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Liz Kopp – 27 assists, 7 digs
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Maci Lerseth – 22 digs, 3 assists
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Gretchen Volk – 16 digs, 1 ace
USF outdug the Mavericks 88–80, matched them with 64 kills, and closed the match hitting .550 in the decisive fifth set.
Historic Win
Tonights's victory continues what has become one of the most memorable seasons in USF Volleyball history. With five ranked wins — including triumphs over No. 8 SMSU, No. 17 SMSU, No. 21 UMD, No. 22 Northern State, and now No. 22 Minnesota State — the Cougars have firmly established themselves as one of the NSIC's most dangerous and underestimated postseason threats.
The win also marked USF's second NSIC Tournament win ever, joining the program's 2018 quarterfinal victory.
Up Next
The Cougars now advance to the NSIC Tournament Semifinals, where they will face No. 5 Concordia-St. Paul on Friday at 7:30pm inside the Gangelhoff Center in St. Paul, Minn.
