BROOKINGS, S.D. - It was evident on this Halloween night that the North Dakota volleyball team packed its brooms on this road trip as the Fighting Sioux (23-4) picked up their second sweep over South Dakota State (12-16) this season. With wins of 25-20, 25-23 and 25-22, the Sioux extended their winning streak to 11 straight matches and tallied their 13th sweep of the year.
Led by senior outside hitter Annika Smed's 14-kill, 17-dig double-double, the Fighting Sioux had three players finish with double-figure kills as the Sioux out-hit the Jackrabbits .236-.189.
"Tonight was a very hard-fought match," head coach Ashley Hardee said. "Yes, it was a sweep, but we didn't just walk in and take it. As the scores show, it was a very tight match, and we had to fight for each point."
SDSU controlled the first half of the initial set, but after breaking a 16-16 tie, the Fighting Sioux set out on a 9-4 run to give them the eventual victory.
In the second set, UND and SDSU found themselves knotted a total of 15 times, including a late 23-23 tie. The Sioux grabbed the 24-23 advantage following a big block party at the net attended by Smed and sophomore middle blocker Lisa Parlich (Delavan, Wis.). Smed then slammed down the final point to give UND the 2-0 lead.
SDSU jumped out to a quick 8-3 lead to start the third set, but the Sioux relentlessly fought back. With the aid of costly Jackrabbit errors and big kills from UND's front row, the Sioux pulled the set into a 17-17 tie. With the help of four kills from Smed, UND out-scored the Jacks 8-5 down the stretch to win the set and complete the sweep.
"I liked the composure of the team tonight," Hardee said. "We had to battle through a lot of ties in the second set, and that just shows how close it really was. Then in the third set, SDSU jumped out to an early lead, but we stayed focused and then fought back."
Smed, a native of Albert Lea, Minn., landed 14 kills in 40 swings for a .250 hitting percentage. Along with her 17 digs, she registered a trio of blocks, including a solo stop in the opening set. Parlich finished with 13 kills on 29 swings for a .345 hitting percentage and tallied a trio of blocks (one solo), and sophomore middle blocker Ronni Munkeby (Lisbon, N.D.) registered 10 kills on 27 swings (.185) and picked up a trio of block assists.
Redshirt freshman setter Nikki Husfeldt tallied 48 assists, the most for the Andover, Minn., native during a three-set match, and senior libero Taylor Bohannon (Inver Grove Heights, Minn.) racked up 20 digs. Senior middle blocker Tia Russell (Brooklyn Park, Minn.) led the team with five blocks (all assists).
Tomorrow night, North Dakota faces former Great West Conference rival South Dakota in Vermillion, S.D. The Coyotes will be seeking revenge as the last time these two teams met, UND defeated USD 3-1 to win the 2010 Great West Conference Tournament title. First serve is set for 7 p.m.
- Go Sioux -
