GRAND FORKS, N.D. – After dropping set one, the North Dakota volleyball team won three consecutive sets and ended the match on an 8-0 run to defeat Oral Roberts (24-26, 25-19, 25-12, 25-17) on Saturday afternoon from Betty Engelstad Sioux Center. The Hawks improve to 5-12 and 2-4 in conference play, while Oral Roberts drops to 2-16 and 0-6 in the Summit League.

The Hawks hit for a season best .439 hit percentage, good for the most efficient UND performance since Nov. 18, 2016 against Idaho State (.448).

North Dakota had four players hit for .471 or higher, led by Paige Barber who recorded 24 kills on a career best .611 from the field. It is Barber's third match this season with 20 or more kills and the most in a four-set match in her career.

Mattie Dalton and Ava Galvan each had nine kills, Dalton doing it on a .500 hit percentage, while Galvan did it on a .471 attack percentage as the nine kills were a career high for her. Marianna Rivera recorded five kills on a .625 attack percentage and Lauren Perugini totaled 11 kills on the afternoon.

Sadie White dished out 41 assists, while putting up nine digs and a career best four service aces. Perugini had a season high two service aces, along with Barber who tied a career high two aces.
Izzie McCormick had a team high 11 digs, good for her 10th match this season with 10 or more digs.

UND held a lead for a good portion of set one, leading by as many as eight with a 13-5 advantage. From there, the Golden Eagles used a 14-6 run to tie the set up at 19-19. The Hawks scored four of the next six points of the set to take a 23-21 lead, but Oral Roberts answered with three straight points to go up 24-23. Perugini recorded a kill to even the match at 24-24, but the Golden Eagles scored two straight to end the set, taking the frame, 26-24.

The Hawks fell behind 7-3 in set two but used a 6-1 run to take a 9-8 lead. North Dakota hit for .560 in the set, connecting on 16 kills through 25 attempts and just two errors. With the score tied 11-11, the Green and White ended the set on a 14-8 run to win, 25-19.

Set three was all UND, as the Hawks never trailed in the set with only two ties in the frame. North Dakota led 10-7, but a 15-5 blitz from the Fighting Hawks brought them one set closer to a win, taking the set, 25-12.

Set four featured nine ties and three lead changes, with both teams staying within one point of each other through the first 19 points of the set, as UND led 10-9. Even from there, the set remained close, as the Hawks were tied with Oral Roberts 17-17. North Dakota then went on a run, ending the set on an 8-0 run, capped off by a White service ace to win set four, 25-17.

North Dakota will be back in action Thursday at St. Thomas with first serve scheduled for 7 p.m.

Postgame Notes

• North Dakota improves to 11-4 all-time against Oral Roberts
• The Hawks move to 3-1 this season in four set matches
• UND recorded its second come-from-behind victory on the season
• The team hit for a season best .439 hit percentage, the highest in a match since Nov. 18, 2016, against Idaho State (.448)
• Barber recorded 24 kills on a career best .611 hit percentage, becoming the first Hawk since Tara Holmes on Sept. 8, 2007 to have 20+ kills on a .600 or better hit percentage
• Barber had 20 or more kills for the third time in her career, and the 24 kills today were the most in a four-set match since Oct. 14, 2008
• Barber tied a career-high with two service aces
• Barber has had a match-high in kills in 14-of-17 matches this season
• Galvan logged a career best nine kills
• Dalton hit for a .500 hit percentage, her second career match of .500 or better
• McCormick had 11 digs, good for her 10th match this season in double-figures
• Rivera hit for a career best .625 hit percentage, while contributing four blocks
• White had 41 assists good for her third match this season with 40 or more dimes
• White had a career-high four service aces, giving her 23 on the season
• Perugini had a season best two service aces
• UND has ended all three home wins on a service ace
• The Hawks recorded 59 kills, hitting for .560 in set two
• North Dakota ended the match on an 8-0 run

How It Happened
Set 1: Oral Roberts 26-24
Set 2: UND 25-19
Set 3: UND 25-12
Set 4: UND 25-17

For more information on North Dakota Volleyball, visit Fightinghawks.com or follow-on social media @UNDvolleyball.
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