The North Dakota State University volleyball team split in its weekend series. The Bison won on Thursday, Nov. 10 over the Omaha Mavericks, 3-2, and lost to the Denver Pioneers, 2-3, on Saturday, Nov. 12. The Bison move to 19-9 overall and 12-4 in Summit League play.

The snowy Thursday match against the Mavericks kept fans on the edge of their seats. Both teams traded punches until the fifth set when the Bison prevailed.

The Bison grabbed the first set, 25-21. Junior Ali Hinze fueled a five-point run midway through the set with two service aces. NDSU combined for 18 kills in the set. The Mavericks fought back in the second set with a 25-23 win. The lead traded hands four times throughout the set.

                                 Seniors Michelle Glover and Syra Tanchin provided kills to a five-point run in the third set, which helped separate the Green and Gold from Omaha. A pair of kills from Hinze earned the Herd a third-set win at 25-23. The fourth set came down to the wire as there were 10 ties throughout the set. The Mavericks’ 19 kills and five errors proved too much for the Bison and won 26-24.

                                 The match went to the winner-take-all fifth set, where the Mavericks were one point away from taking a 14-12 lead. A divisive service error by Omaha gave the Bison the serve. Kelley Johnson set up sophomore Alexis Boling to tie up the set at 14-14. The Mavericks grabbed another point, but a service ace and kill from Tanchin won the set and match at 17-15 for the Bison.

                                 Sophomore Logan O’Brien had 19 digs and Johnson collected 57 assists. Hinze led the team with 19 kills and Glover led in blocks with three.

                                 The Saturday matchup against Denver wasn’t as successful for the Herd. The Pioneers took the first set, 25-17, and second set, 29-17. The Herd got the ball rolling in the third set with a four-point run, which tied the set up at 18-18. The Bison regained the lead with Glover and Hinze kills. O’Brien won the third set for the Bison with an ace 29-27.

                                 The Herd grabbed another win in the fourth set. The Bison held a 22-14 lead after a five-point run aided by three Pioneer errors. A pair of kills from Tanchin and Boling won the set for the Herd, 25-17. NDSU could not string it together in the fifth set, they lost 15-9.

                                 Tanchin led the team with 19 kills and 14 digs. Glover compiled 9 blocks and Johnson had 46 assists.

                                 The Bison start their last pair of games of the regular season on the road. The games begin on Thursday, Nov. 17 at 7 p.m. against the South Dakota Coyotes and Saturday, Nov. 19 at 1 p.m. against the South Dakota State Jackrabbits. The Summit League Championship is slated for November 24 – 26.