SMITHFIELD, R.I. ? The University of North Dakota snapped a four-match losing streak on Saturday afternoon with a 3-2 victory over Bryant at the Bryant National Transitions Tournament. With the win, UND finished 1-2 at the tournament after falling to Seattle, 3-2, and Houston Baptist, 3-1, on Friday.
The Sioux fell in the first set, 26-24, but answered back with a win of the same score. UND took a 2-1 lead with a 25-16 win, but this time the Bulldogs fired back with a 25-22 win to force it to a fifth set. With the match on the line, the Sioux pulled away to take the set, 15-5.
The win over the Bulldogs helped the Fighting Sioux closeout the Division I debut season with 24-8 record and tied them with the 1982 and 2002 squads as the second-winningest team in program history.
Leading the Sioux attack was junior Amanda Polzin (MH, Hutchinson, Minn.) with a match-high 22 kills and a .426 attack percentage. She was aided by a trio of players as redshirt freshman Devin Trefz (OH, Bagley, Minn.), junior Britta Hanson (MH, Thompson, N.D.), and sophomore Erin Joki (RS, Grand Rapids, Minn.) combined for 31 of UND's total 64 kills.
Junior Megan Langseth's (S, Alexandria, Minn.) 56 assists was not only a team-high, but was more than Bryant's two top assists leaders combined. Freshman Taylor Bohannon (DS, Inver Grove Heights, Minn.) led both sides with four aces.
On the defensive side, Lindsay Vortherms (LB, Windom, Minn.) racked up a team-high 27 digs with freshman Annika Smed (OH, Albert Lea, Minn.) and Bohannon adding other 34 digs with 18 and 14, respectively.
Hanson tallied three block assists and one solo block. Smed and Joki had two block assists apiece.
Bryant's Maria Scocca led with 16 kills and three block assists. Maureen Atkins and Julie Geonnotti, the two main setters, combined for 48 of the Bulldog's 55 assists. Delia Glover posted 24 digs and Jazmin Stoner added another 21.
The Sioux out-attacked the Bulldogs .216-.146 with the greatest margin coming in the fifth and final set where UND held a .300 to -0.87 hitting advantage.
North Dakota leads the series, 2-0 after taking a 3-0 sweep on Oct. 11 at the Seattle Dig for a Cure Classic.
The 2008 squad finished with a program record, 12-0 mark to start the season and set a new precedent after a tally of 16, three-set sweeps. Another record was set, when 500 fans came to watch the Sioux as they defeated Mayville State, 3-0 on Sept. 10 at the Betty Engelstad Sioux Center.
? Go Sioux ?
NOTES: Hanson is now listed No. 8 in single-season block assists (92) and No. 8 all-time in block assists (245) ... Vortherms is now listed No. 5 all-time in digs (1,261) and No. 2 in single-season digs (543) ... Langseth is now listed No. 8 in single-season assists (1,134)
