MANKATO, Minn. – The University of Sioux Falls Volleyball team fell to Minnesota State in straight sets Saturday afternoon, dropping a 3-0 decision (17-25, 21-25, 20-25) inside the Taylor Center. Despite an efficient offensive performance from Kyleigh Tangen and a strong defensive effort from Hollie Peterson, the Cougars were unable to overcome the Mavericks' serving attack.
Tangen led Sioux Falls with 10 kills while hitting .444, adding eight digs, three assists and a service ace. Aubrey Gates followed with nine kills and four digs, while Abby Haus contributed seven kills. Peterson recorded a team-high 22 assists and 11 digs, leading the Cougars defensively.
Sioux Falls improved its offensive efficiency throughout the afternoon, finishing with 34 kills and a .181 hitting percentage. The Cougars hit .216 in the second set before closing the match with a .313 hitting percentage in the third frame.
Minnesota State finished with 41 kills, a .306 hitting percentage and 14 service aces to secure the conference victory. The result moved Sioux Falls to 10-18 overall and 6-14 in NSIC play, while Minnesota State improved to 11-17 overall and 9-11 in the conference.
The Basics
Final: Minnesota State 3, Sioux Falls 0
Set Scores: 17-25, 21-25, 20-25
Records: Sioux Falls 10-18 (6-14 NSIC) | Minnesota State 11-17 (9-11 NSIC)
Date: Saturday, November 7, 2026
Location: Taylor Center | Mankato, Minn.
Attendance: 274
How It Happened
Set One | Minnesota State 25, Sioux Falls 17
The opening set featured a competitive start as the two teams exchanged points through the early stages. Kills from Gates, Tangen and Haus helped Sioux Falls remain within striking distance before the Cougars put together a four-point run to take a 7-6 advantage.
Tangen continued to provide an offensive spark, recording a kill and a service ace during another four-point stretch that gave Sioux Falls a 12-7 lead. The Cougars also received strong defensive contributions at the net, including blocks involving Walker, Peterson and Tangen.
Minnesota State responded with eight consecutive points to erase a 13-9 deficit and take a 17-13 advantage. The Mavericks continued their momentum with a six-point run to extend the lead to 22-14.
Wolfe delivered a kill to end the run, and Sioux Falls added two late points before Minnesota State closed the frame with a service ace to secure the 25-17 victory.
Set Two | Minnesota State 25, Sioux Falls 21
Minnesota State opened the second set with a 6-1 advantage, but Sioux Falls responded with an improved offensive performance.
Haus helped lead the comeback with a pair of early kills, while Walker and Tangen contributed offensively to keep the Cougars within reach. Trailing 12-9, Sioux Falls scored three consecutive points behind a kill from Gates and a service ace from Lerseth to even the frame at 12-12.
The teams continued to exchange points before Minnesota State built a 20-15 advantage. Haus responded with another kill, while Walker added two kills during the closing stages as Sioux Falls attempted to narrow the deficit.
Trailing 23-17, the Cougars scored three consecutive points, including a block from Peterson and Wolfe, to cut the margin to 23-20.
Sioux Falls added another point before Minnesota State secured the 25-21 victory.
The Cougars recorded 12 kills in the second set while improving their hitting percentage to .216.
Set Three | Minnesota State 25, Sioux Falls 20
Sioux Falls came out aggressively in the third set, opening with a 4-1 advantage behind kills from Gates, Haus and Tangen.
Minnesota State responded with five consecutive points to take a 6-4 lead, but the Cougars answered with kills from Tangen and a service ace from Gretchen Volk to regain a 7-6 advantage.
The third frame remained tightly contested, featuring nine ties and five lead changes. Sioux Falls continued to battle behind contributions from Gates, Wolfe and Haus, eventually evening the score at 15-15 following a service ace from Lucy Larson.
Minnesota State answered with a five-point run to establish a 20-15 advantage. Tangen delivered two kills during the closing stretch, while Gates added another kill and Peterson contributed offensively to keep Sioux Falls within reach.
The Cougars cut the deficit to 24-20 before Minnesota State secured the final point to complete the sweep.
Sioux Falls delivered its strongest offensive set of the afternoon in the third, recording 15 kills on 32 attempts while hitting .313.
Key Cougars
Kyleigh Tangen led the Sioux Falls offense with 10 kills on 18 attempts, committing just two attacking errors for a team-best .444 hitting percentage. Tangen added eight digs, three assists, a service ace and a block assist, finishing with a team-high 11.5 points.
Aubrey Gates contributed nine kills on 30 attempts while adding four digs and an assist. Gates provided consistent offensive production throughout the match, including several key kills during the Cougars' third-set effort.
Abby Haus finished with seven kills and a dig, helping Sioux Falls improve its offensive efficiency during the final two frames.
Hollie Peterson directed the Cougar offense with 22 assists while recording a team-high 11 digs. Peterson also contributed a kill and two block assists.
Maci Lerseth added nine digs, five assists and a service ace, while Gretchen Volk contributed five digs, an assist and a service ace.
Haley Wolfe recorded four kills and a block assist, while Ella Walker added three kills and two block assists. Lucy Larson also contributed a service ace.
By the Numbers
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10 – Kills recorded by Kyleigh Tangen to lead the Cougar offense.
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.444 – Hitting percentage for Tangen, who finished with 10 kills and just two errors on 18 attempts.
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22 – Assists recorded by Hollie Peterson.
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11 – Digs from Peterson to lead Sioux Falls defensively.
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34 – Total kills recorded by the Cougars.
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.313 – Sioux Falls' hitting percentage in the third set, its highest of the match.
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15 – Kills recorded by Sioux Falls in the third set.
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41 – Total digs for the Cougars, compared to 37 for Minnesota State.
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4 – Service aces recorded by Sioux Falls.
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14 – Service aces recorded by Minnesota State.
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9 – Ties in the third set as the Cougars battled through a competitive final frame.
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