GRAND FORKS, N.D. – The North Dakota volleyball team was back in action Friday night on its home court as they took on St. Thomas. Behind an offensive attack that .232 and a defense that held the Tommies to just a .067 hitting percentage, the Fighting Hawks won 3-0 (25-23, 25-17, 25-15).
The first set was a tightly contested affair, with neither team able to take solid control of the match. After all the ebb and flow early on, the St. Thomas held an 18-15 lead late in the set. But the Fighting Hawks ended the set on a 10-5 run that allowed them to take the set by two points. Kaycee O'Dell had two of her set high five kills in the run.
UND reeled off seven straight points at the start of the second set to take a 7-1 lead, and they would not trail in the frame. St. Thomas would tie the set at 16, but from there UND took over and closed the set on a 9-1 run, in which Elizabeth Norris racked up four kills.
The momentum for the Fighting Hawks continued in set number three as they jumped out to a 7-2 lead, with back-to-back solo blocks from Norris and an ace from Skylar Darr. From there NoDak led the rest of the way and the match finished with a block from Norris and Jarolin de los Santos Lugo.
Postgame Notes
· It was the third straight win over the Tommies in the series, and it evens the all-time series at 3-3.
· Kaycee O'Dell led the team with 11 kills, including five in the first set.
· Teagan Timperley reached double digits in assists for the 15th straight match with 17, tying with Norris for the team lead.
· Lauren Perugini led the team with 11 digs and tied Norris for the team lead with two aces.
· Norris had two solo blocks and two block assists on the evening.
· Lugo saw action for the first time since September 1 against Abilene Christian, finishing with a kill and a block assist.
How it Happened
First set: UND 25, ORU 23
Second set: UND 25, UST 17
Third set: UND 25, UST 15
