Women's Volleyball 10/10/2009 6:00:00 PM Ryan Powell, UND Media Relations

Sioux volleyball blanks Houston Baptist, 3-0

GRAND FORKS, N.D. – The University of North Dakota volleyball team picked up its second-consecutive sweep in the Lone Star State as the Sioux blanked Houston Baptist, 3-0, on Saturday. Sophomore Devin Trefz (Bagley, Minn.) had a match-high 12 kills to pace the Sioux, who improved to 12-6 overall and 4-1 in Great West Conference play.

UND, who has won seven of its last eight matches overall, swept the Huskies (7-15, 2-4 GW) for the second time this season (25-19, 25-22, 25-21).

The Sioux outblocked the home team 10-4 in the match as senior Britta Hanson (Thompson, N.D.), who also added seven kills, and junior Erin Joki (Grand Rapids, Minn.) each had four block assists in the match.

Two players also reached double figures in digs for the Sioux, who combined for 50 in the match. Senior libero Lindsay Vortherms (Windom, Minn.) led the team with 15, while junior Courtney Halvorson added 10. Vortherms is now 21 digs shy of breaking the all-time record for digs in a career at UND.

“Britta did a great job for us offensively and, defensively, Courtney had her best match of the season for us with 10 digs,” UND head coach Ashley Hardee said. “Plus, for the second-straight match we got a big spark off the bench by Tia Russell.

In the opening set, the Sioux hit .310 as a team and Hanson had four kills en route to a 25-19 victory.

The second set was much tighter as the teams were tied at 20-20 before the Sioux reeled off four of the next five points to take control. Trefz finished off the scoring with her fourth kill of the set to give the Sioux a 25-22 victory.

After allowing HBU to hit .333 and .205 in the opening two sets, the UND defense tightened up, registering five blocks and holding the home team to a -.022 attack percentage. Trefz added five kills in the set to help the Sioux register their sixth sweep of the campaign.

“Our defense came out a little tentative in those opening two sets and HBU really attacked well,” Hardee added. “We settled down and I really thought our defense played great in that third set to hold them to a negative hitting percentage.”

UND will return home for a match against Bemidji State next Tuesday at the Betty Engelstad Sioux Center. The match is set to begin at 7 p.m.

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Players Mentioned

#3 Lindsay Vortherms: DS/L; 5' 8"; Freshman

#4 Britta Hanson: MH/RS; 6' 0"; Freshman

#14 Courtney Halvorson: OH; 5' 8"; Freshman

#8 Devin Trefz: OH; 6' 1"; Freshman

#8 Tia Russell: MB; 5' 10"; Sophomore

Players Mentioned

#3 Lindsay Vortherms
: 5' 8"; Freshman
: DS/L

#4 Britta Hanson
: 6' 0"; Freshman
: MH/RS

#14 Courtney Halvorson
: 5' 8"; Freshman
: OH

#8 Devin Trefz
: 6' 1"; Freshman
: OH

#8 Tia Russell
: 5' 10"; Sophomore
: MB