VERMILLION, S.D. – It had the beginning of another five-set thriller like the one North Dakota and South Dakota engaged in on October 10, but the Hawks were overcome in the final two sets as the host Coyotes won in four frames on Halloween night in Vermillion. The loss drops the Hawks to 8-14 overall and is their tenth in Summit League play.
 
North Dakota won the first set behind a .235 attack clip and a late rally. USD answered with a set victory as the sides played to a second-straight frame decided by three points or less. The Coyotes carried that momentum into the next two sets winning by a combined 20 points.
 
The Coyotes didn't take their first lead of the opening set until the ninth point and the Hawks remained in step with the host pulling to within one at 12-11 behind terminations from true freshman Vanessa Washington and redshirt freshman Olivia Edlund. UND battled to a tied set at 19 as freshman Vanessa Imoh delivered a strong kill, senior Jarolin  de los Santos Lugo recorded a solo denial and senior Maddy Hornyak aced the Coyotes. The Hawks benefitted from a pair of USD service errors and coupled that with two put aways from sophomore Lauren Perugini with her second of the sequence giving UND a 23-22 advantage. A USD attack error and a kill from Washington ended the frame in favor of the Hawks.
 
USD responded over the next three frames. The Coyotes hit a match-high .346 in the third set and followed with a .265 clip in the fourth. Set two was tied at 22, while the latest tie in each of the final two sets occurred before the seventh point. UND trailed 17-8 in set three but unleashed a furious rally to pull within four at 22-18.
 
North Dakota prepares for its annual Tulsa-Denver swing next weekend. The Hawks meet Oral Roberts on Thursday, November 7 at 7 p.m. UND outlasted the Golden Eagles in five sets engineering a reverse sweep of ORU in Grand Forks on October 3. The Hawks take on Denver on Saturday, November 9 at noon. UND went five with the Pioneers before falling 15-13 in the final frame at home on October 5. Both contests can be seen on the Summit League Network and live stats for each contest will be available at FightingHawks.com.
 
Postgame Notes

• It was the sixth four-set match for the Hawks this season and third after winning the opening set
• Five Hawks recorded six or more kills with Imoh and junior Paige Barber leading with nine each
• UND registered six service aces in the loss. It marks just the third defeat for the Hawks this season when reaching six aces in a match
• USD finished +9 in blocks, the sides combined for 13 aces and 28 service errors; UND's 14 service mishaps evened its season high
• Junior Izzie McCormick led the back row with 19 digs marking the 11^th match this season with 15 or more
• Hornyak recorded 15 digs and is now 66 digs away from 1,000 for her career
• Elizabeth Norris led with 17 assists to move 71 helpers away from the 2,000 mark
• Teagan Timperley followed with 16 assists
• Norris added two aces
• Santos Lugo added a block and two aces to her stat ledger and finds herself 13 denials and two aces from becoming the first player in UND's DI era to register 100 blocks and 30 aces in a single season

 
How It Happened
 
Set 1: UND, 25-23
Set 2: USD, 25-22
Set 3: USD, 25-18
Set 4: USD, 25-12
 
For more information on North Dakota volleyball, visit FightingHawks.com or follow on social media @UNDvolleyball.