FARGO, N.D. – The University of North Dakota volleyball team fell to North Dakota State in three sets on the road Saturday afternoon. In front of a packed Bentson Bunker Fieldhouse, the Fighting Hawks battled through two competitive opening sets before the Bison pulled away in the third. UND falls to 8-15 overall and 2-10 in Summit League play.
Sally Marong paced the UND offense with 10 kills and narrowly missed a double-double with nine digs. Making her first start of the season in the middle,
Marianna Rivera led the Fighting Hawks at the net with a season-high five blocks.
UND jumped out to an early 6-2 lead in the opening set, with
An den Hamer recording two kills to get the Hawks on the board. NDSU battled back to tie the set at eight, but a 3-0 run by UND restored the lead at 11-8. The Bison responded once again, knotting the score at 11. The teams traded points down the stretch, combining for six ties and one lead change. With the set even at 20, NDSU closed on a 5-0 run to take the opening frame, 25-20.
Despite dropping the first set, the Hawks found success offensively, recording a match-high 16 kills while holding the Bison to 13 kills. UND hit .306 in the frame.
North Dakota carried its momentum into the second set, opening with a 3-0 run capped by a pair of blocks from
Olivia Edlund. NDSU responded by taking the lead and maintained the advantage until another 3-0 run by the Hawks evened the score at 15. Edlund sparked the run with a kill and an ace. The teams continued to battle, eventually reaching a 24-24 tie to force extra points. The Bison claimed the next two points to secure a 26-24 set victory and take a 2-0 match lead. The frame featured eight ties and three lead changes. UND once again hit above .300, posting a match-best .333 hitting percentage with 12 kills and just three errors.
NDSU took control early in the third set as the Fighting Hawks looked to extend the match. The Bison limited the UND offense to nine kills and a .000 hitting percentage, taking the final frame, 25-16, to complete the sweep.
The Fighting Hawks will close out the regular season on the road in South Dakota next weekend. UND will visit South Dakota State on Thursday, Nov. 12, before wrapping up the season at South Dakota on Saturday, Nov. 14.
POSTGAME NOTES
- North Dakota State extended its lead in the all-time series to 87-14.
- An den Hamer added seven kills and three blocks for the Fighting Hawks.
- Andrea Zaric made an impact in the final two sets, hitting .444 with five kills.
- Setters Reagan McIntosh and Ela Vlaisavljevic returned to the court for UND, each recording 13 assists.
- Haley Patton returned to her libero duties, finishing with six digs.
- Kenya Prescott contributed nine digs to the UND defensive effort.
- NDSU held the advantage in service aces, recording 10 compared to UND's four.
HOW IT HAPPENED
Set 1: North Dakota State 25, North Dakota 20
Set 2: North Dakota State 26, North Dakota 24
Set 3: North Dakota State 15, North Dakota 16
For more information on North Dakota Volleyball, visit Fightinghawks.com or follow-on social media @UNDvolleyball.
--UND--
