VERMILLION, S.D. – The North Dakota volleyball team lost to South Dakota in three sets (25-16, 25-18, 25-22) on Saturday evening from Sanford Coyote Sports Center. The Hawks drop to 6-15 and 3-7 in conference play, while South Dakota improves to 15-7 and 7-3 in Summit League play.

The match featured eight ties and four lead changes among the three sets, as Paige Barber led the match in kills with 12 on the night. Katy Riviere tallied a season best six kills off the bench, with the senior duo combining for 18-of-28 UND kills.

Matthea Dalton recorded a career best 11 digs, while Izzie McCormick had a team-high 12. UND had five total team blocks compared to four from South Dakota, led by Ava Galvan with four total blocks, two solo blocks and two block assists. Sadie White dished out 19 assists and had two block assists.

UND never led in set one, as South Dakota controlled a lead from start to finish. Trailing 5-4, North Dakota conceded an 8-1 run to fall behind 13-5, but the Hawks showed fight, using a 5-0 burst of their own to make it 13-10. South Dakota then scored the next three points to go up 16-10, eventually going on to win the frame, 25-16.

North Dakota corralled its first lead of the match in set two, leading by as many as three. The Hawks owned three-point leads of 5-2 and 9-6, but a South Dakota 6-0 run changed the momentum, giving the Coyotes a 12-9 advantage. The closest UND would get would be on the next point that the team won to pull them within 12-10, but USD opened some separation, taking a lead as big as seven. UND would go onto fall, 25-18.

In a do-or-die set three, the Hawks came out ready to go. They fell behind 1-0, but from there the squad held a lead for a good portion of the set, leading by as many as four. North Dakota led 10-6 and 13-9, but a South Dakota 4-0 burst tied the match at 13-13. A USD service error and a Riviere kill put UND back in front by two, but the Coyotes responded with a 5-1 run to go up 18-16. The Hawks stayed right there, scoring four of the next seven points in the match to trail just 21-20, but the Coyotes answered again with three straight points to take a 24-20 lead. South Dakota took set three, 25-22.

The Hawks will be back in action on Thursday at Oral Roberts at 7 p.m.

Postgame Notes

• UND drops to 53-40 all-time against South Dakota
• It was the 15th time this season Barber led the match in kills and her 17th time recording 10 or more in a match
• Riviere recorded a season best six kills on a .455 hit%
• Dalton had a career best 11 digs
• McCormick had her 14th double-digit digs performance, posting 12 on the evening
• Galvan had four blocks for the second consecutive match, giving her four solo blocks and four block assists over the last two contests
• White had 19 assists and two blocks

How It Happened
Set 1: USD 25, UND 16
Set 2: USD 25, UND 18
Set 3: USD 25, UND 22
For more information on North Dakota Volleyball, visit Fightinghawks.com or follow-on social media @UNDvolleyball.
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