SPEARFISH, S.D. — MSU Denver battled through a back-and-forth five-set match Friday evening, rallying past Black Hills State 3-2 (25-12, 24-26, 25-22, 20-25, 15-5) at A2 Arena.
The Roadrunners improved to 9-6 overall and 4-1 in Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference play with the victory, their third five-set match of the season.
Brooke Gennerman led the way offensively for MSU Denver, finishing with 19 kills while hitting .366 on 41 attacks. She also produced a career-high five service aces, added two block assists and collected 12 digs for an all-around performance.
Mia Accomazzo anchored the Roadrunners defensively with a team-high 20 digs, while Trynity Martin and Megan Hagar each added nine kills. Martin was particularly efficient, hitting .643 with nine kills on 14 attacks without committing an error. Mayah Pridgett added six kills while hitting .625, and Kamdyn Scott contributed 11 kills.
The Roadrunners also turned in their strongest blocking performance of the season.
MSU Denver recorded 24 block assists, its most in a match this season and its highest total since recording 26 block assists in last season's regional championship victory over Angelo State. Martin and Pridgett led the effort with six block assists apiece, while Scott added five and Gennerman and Alivia Huxoll each contributed four.
After opening the match with a commanding 25-12 victory, MSU Denver found itself in a tight battle as Black Hills State answered with a 26-24 second-set win. The Roadrunners responded in the third, closing out a 25-22 victory to move within one set of the match.
Black Hills State again forced a deciding set by taking the fourth 25-20, but MSU Denver left little doubt in the fifth.
The Roadrunners raced out to a 5-0 lead and continued to pull away, closing the match on a 15-5 fifth-set victory. MSU Denver hit .429 in the deciding set while holding Black Hills State to a .000 hitting percentage.
The Roadrunners finished the night with 67 kills on 142 attacks for a .345 hitting percentage, while holding Black Hills State to a .197 mark. MSU Denver also held a 63-49 advantage in digs and served nine aces.
MSU Denver returns to action Saturday at South Dakota Mines.
