NDSU volleyball made quick work of the University of Denver Pioneers, taking them down in straight sets this past Thursday. Lauren Jansen was the top hitter for the Bison, logging nine kills and six kills to boot. Ali Hinze and Alexis Boling also had 8 kills, and Hinze was tied with the Summit League Defensive Player of The Week, Logan O’Brien, for the team-high in digs with 9. The Bison also had two players in double-digit assists, as Eke Denessen dished out 18 and Maddy Dombeck added another 10. 

The Bison got off hot, opening a quick 13-5 lead early in the first set after a Lauren Jansen kill. That lead quickly ballooned to 21-12 after a tag-team block from Arianna Blohm and Baily Randall, and any Denver comeback attempt was no good, as NDSU wrapped up set on 25-17. 

Denver responded in set number two, as they opened it up with an 8-4 advantage. Seven straight Bison points, ending with back-to-back Maddy Dombeck aces, opened up an 11-4 NDSU lead. The Bison were able to keep the pedal down, ending the second set on a 14-10 run and closing it out 25-18. 

Momentum carried over into set three, as an Alexis Boling kill set up an early 9-4 Bison lead. A 10-1 run from the green and gold put this one out of reach for Denver, making a 19-5 lead. The Bison closed out set number three 25-12, and the match at three sets to none. 

Oral Roberts got the best of the Bison in their second match of the weekend, taking down NDSU in five sets. Lauren Jansen led the way with a double-double, logging a team-high 18 kills and 12 digs on top of that. Ali Hinze was the other offensive playmaker for the Bison, recording 13 kills and was one dig away from a double-double. The Bison offense once again used a two-headed assisting duo, with Maddy Dombeck dishing out 21 assists and Eke Denessen right behind her at 19. Logan O’Brien with yet another game with double-digit digs, with a match-high 22 in the loss. 

NDSU got off to a good start, taking set one with a 25-21 win. Two straight set losses for the Bison, 25-22 and 25-23, had the Bison going into set four down 2-1. 

NDSU started set four with an early 11-5 lead thanks to a Lauren Jansen kill after falling down 2-1 in sets. The Bison kept the pressure on, opening up a 21-11 lead and holding onto that to finish the 25-13 set and force a fifth set. 

A back-and-forth affair in set five led to an 8-8 score at the halfway point. A 5-1 run from ORU led to a 13-9 lead, and they were able to hold off the Bison for a final score of 15-11, taking the match in five.

This article was written by sports writer Sam Huesby