GRAND FORKS, N.D. -- Seven straight points to end the match propelled host North Dakota past Eastern Washington in straight sets Thursday in Big Sky Conference action. UND worked its way out of a 7-0 hole and trailed throughout the final frame until redshirt freshman Alivia Fraase was able to hold serve for the final six points, allowing the Fighting Hawks to pick up their 20th win of the season, its eighth in the last nine campaigns.
"Tonight we played really clean in the first two sets, which was a great sign," UND head coach Mark Pryor said. "Only four hitting errors in those two sets combined gave us a good cushion. That third set was just a roller coaster. Being down 7-0, and then being down 23-18, and then siding out and running off six straight stops was a good sign for us. We have to get better at eliminating those huge runs, but I do like the fact that we fought through it."
UND was led by junior Faith Dooley, who charted a dozen kills to go along with three digs and two blocks while Tamara Merseli added nine kills and 14 digs. Sydney Griffin piled up 36 assists in the win, keeping North Dakota atop the Big Sky North Division (11-2) and no worse than tied for the top overall seed in the upcoming league tournament, pending later Thursday action.
UND (20-12, 11-2) was in control for the entire first set, taking an early 9-4 lead and never looking back, hitting .353 in the process for a 25-19 victory. Dooley had five of her kills in that frame alone and North Dakota committed just a pair of attack errors for that set.
The Fighting Hawks would turn the trick again in the second set, giving away just the two points on attack errors to hit .381 for a 25-21 win. UND only trailed in the early points of that frame, too. A 5-1 spurt pushed UND in front, 13-9, to force a timeout and the set would end on a 5-2 North Dakota run as all looked good for the home team.
Until the third set when Eastern Washington stormed out of the locker room to take the first seven points of the stanza. An EWU service error, one of 10 on the evening for the Eagles, gave UND a desperately-needed sideout. Three more points would follow as a back-and-forth third set laid the groundwork for a wild finish. EWU countered trudge back ahead, 13-6, benefitting from uncharacteristic attack errors in the first half of the set. North Dakota had seven attack errors at that point to gift the Eagles that cushion.
UND pushed back to within two at 17-15, but EWU used a North Dakota service error as a springboard to a quick 4-0 spurt and a 22-16 advantage. From there, Merseli got a much-needed kill but UND still found itself staring down a 23-18 deficit and zero momentum. A crazy play finished with a North Dakota point for a sideout then back-to-back attack errors by Ka'iulani Ahuna helped make the score 23-21 for an Eastern Washington stoppage. It did little to quell the building momentum as Julia Kaczorowska charted a kill and then Moser was in on the final three points with a kill and back-to-back blocks to end it.
"Both middles played well, and I thought that our defense at times really stepped up to keep rallies alive when we needed to keep our momentum in the first and second, and when we were trying to make a push when we were so far behind in the third," Pryor said. "The girls really made one or two good adjustments on the fly, and that was a difference for us.
"I think we are all happy with this win, but maybe the word that comes to mind is relieved that we finished in three. That is important this time of year. After all, Idaho is up next, and that match is always a battle.
North Dakota remains at home for two of the final three matches, beginning with a Saturday night tilt against the Vandals. First serve is slated for 7:00 p.m.
