The MSU-Northern Skylights picked up a big win at home, defeating (RV) Dakota State University 3-1 (25-22, 23-25, 25-19, 25-18) on Thursday night in Havre.

In the opening set, Northern jumped out to a 10-7 lead, but the Trojans battled back to tie it several times. The Skylights used a 6-2 run to go up 21-16, only to see Dakota State answer with a 6-1 push to even the score. Northern closed strong, finishing the set with a 3-0 run to take the 1-0 advantage.

The Trojans controlled much of the second set, and although the Skylights tied it twice, they couldn't quite grab momentum as Dakota State evened the match 1-1.

Set three saw the Trojans race ahead 8-4, but Northern rallied to tie it at 9-9 before taking control with a decisive 16-7 surge to reclaim the lead. In the fourth, the Skylights started fast at 7-3, but Dakota State answered with a 9-2 run to swing ahead. The set turned into a back-and-forth battle until Northern delivered the knockout punch, closing on a 7-1 run to seal the victory.

Dakota State finished with 46 kills, 78 digs, and seven blocks, led by Sophie Tuttle's 12 kills (.162), Maddi Langerock's 28 assists and 10 digs, and Kate VanRooyan's 20 digs.

The Skylights put together a strong offensive night, hitting .229 with 61 kills, 60 assists, eight service aces, and 91 digs. Macee Selman had a standout performance with 13 kills (.281), 23 assists, and eight digs. Bailey Egan anchored the defense with 23 digs, while Lexi Jones added 11 kills on an impressive .714 hitting percentage.

The Skylights return to action tomorrow, facing No. 5 Bellevue at 5 p.m. in Havre.