ABERDEEN, S.D. – In a similar fashion to games earlier in the season, the Marauders found themselves down two sets to none. Along those same lines, U-Mary would fight back in the third set only to fall short.  The Marauders proved their resiliency tonight on the floor against #24 Northern State but couldn't recover from a 2-0 deficit.
 
The first set started off as a battle between the two teams. With three ties early in the first set the Marauders held onto an 11-9 lead. Northern State, utilizing home court, fired off an 8-1 run to go up 17-12 on U-Mary and closed out the set 25-16 without much fuss.
 
The Marauders got a chance to show the Wolves how U-Mary fights back, as the second set started off 4-0 in favor of Northern State. After narrowing the gap to 10-9, the Marauders struggled to contain the Wolves' attack as Northern State rallied off a 15-3 run to shut down the Marauders 25-12.
 
After a quick break, U-Mary came back onto the floor for the third set ready to fight.  The Marauders were up early with a 9-5 lead, followed closely by the Wolves tying up the score at 9-9. U-Mary's defense kept Northern State at bay for a while, but the Wolves eventually broke through as they took the lead at 18-17. The Marauders would not go quietly as they regained the upper hand with the lead at 20-19. The Wolves responded in kind as they swung the momentum back in their favor after going on top 22-21. U-Mary knotted the score at 23-23, but the Wolves would drive the final nail in the coffin after a block secured the game at 25-23.
 
Lauren Randall continues her solid play as she led the Marauders with nine kills, 24 attacks, seven digs and one solo block.  Paige Smith helped her on the offensive end as she finished with five kills, 19 attacks, one dig and one block assist.
 
Janell Finkbeiner steered the offense for U-Mary as she earned 11 assists and eight digs.  Katelyn Olson aided her as she ended the match with 10 assists, one digs and one block assist.
 
Alex Brown maintained her sturdy defensive play with eight digs, and added two assists and one ace for the Marauder offense.
 
U-Mary (3-10, 0-4 NSIC) will return home on Friday, September 26, as they host #3 Concordia-St. Paul.
 
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