GRAND FORKS, N.D. – North Dakota volleyball swept Oral Roberts 3-0 on Saturday morning at the Betty Engelstad Sioux Center.
 
The first set began with the team trading points as they tried to take the lead. Oral Roberts came out with the 6-3 lead, but North Dakota battled and tied it at seven. ORU was not letting go of the lead easily as they took it once more. It was a back-and-forth set until UND scored six straight points to take the lead 20-15. They did not look back as the Fighting Hawks took the first set 25-19. The second looked like the first set as each team cracked the board early, but it was UND who would take the 11-5 lead. They extended the lead with an 8-0 run to make it 19-8. The Golden Eagles tried to catch-up, but they were unable to as the Fighting Hawks won the set 25-19. It was all UND to start the third set as they started it 5-0. ORU continued to attack, but they were unable to take the lead throughout the set as UND won it 25-14.

North Dakota won the match statistically across the board. The Fighting Hawks had 51 points, 36 kills, ten aces, five blocks, 31 assists and 56 digs compared to the Golden Eagles who had 38 points, 32 kills, three aces, three blocks, 27 assists and 54 digs.

The Fighting Hawks head an hour south next Saturday, Oct. 8 at 7 p.m. to face inner-state rival, North Dakota State.

Postgame Notes

• North Dakota improves to 7-9 on the season and 4-1 in conference play.
• The 3-0 victory against the Golden Eagles breaks a two-game losing streak against this opponent.
• The win against Oral Roberts gives North Dakota the 5-4 lead in the series.
• Leading the Fighting Hawks were Sierra Ward and Elizabeth Norris with 8.5 points each. Ward had seven kills, three blocks and a dig while Norris had eight kills, 12 assists, nine digs and a block.
• Following closely behind was Ashlyn Olson with 7.5 points as she ended the evening with seven kills, one block and one dig.
• Marissa Stockman had five kills, two blocks, one assist and one dig to end the morning with six points.
• Paige Barber also had six points with six kills and three digs.
• Peyton Sewell was second in assists with ten.
• Defensively, it was Kortney Carney who led the team with 18 digs. She had six assists.
• Three Fighting Hawks had three services aces for UND. They were Maddy Hornyak, Sophia Ortquist and Izzy McCormick.

How it Happened

• Set 1: North Dakota 25, Oral Roberts 19
• Set 2: North Dakota 25, Oral Roberts 19
• Set 3: North Dakota 25, Oral Roberts 14