Volleyball Celebrates Senior Night With 3-0 Win Over UND

The North Dakota State University women’s volleyball team gave its home crowd something to celebrate Saturday night, sweeping the University of North Dakota 3-0 on Senior Night at the Bentson Bunker Fieldhouse.

The two teams stayed close throughout the first set, trading points and keeping the score tight. With the set tied at 20-20, NDSU started to pull ahead, picking up five straight points to finish the set with a 25-20 win.

The second set brought another close battle, with UND continuing to challenge the Bison. The Fighting Hawks held a 22-21 lead late in the set, but NDSU responded with a 5-2 run to regain control. The Bison picked up the points they needed to take the set 26-24.

After two competitive sets, the Bison came out strong in the third, building an early lead and keeping the pressure on UND. NDSU opened up an early advantage before continuing to extend its lead.

The Bison controlled the pace with a balanced offensive attack and strong defensive play, preventing the Fighting Hawks from gaining momentum. NDSU eventually closed out the set 25-16 to secure the straight-set victory.

The win gave the Bison their second straight-set victory over UND this season.

Senior outside hitter Lauren Jansen led the Bison offensively in her final home match, recording a match-high 16 kills while hitting .333. She also made an impact from the service line, finishing with four service aces.

Sophomore setter Sarah Pfiffner helped keep the NDSU offense moving, finishing with 29 assists and nine digs. Pfiffner also recorded four service aces, tying Jansen for the team lead.

As a team, the Bison finished with 42 total kills and 10 service aces, helping to challenge and disrupt UND's offensive rhythm throughout the match.

Defensively, sophomore defensive specialist Rya Borer contributed seven digs as NDSU continued to limit the Fighting Hawks' opportunities throughout the match.

Saturday's win moved NDSU to 15-7 overall and 7-5 in Summit League play, while UND dropped to 8-15 overall and 2-10 in conference play. The victory also gave the Bison a 2-0 record against the Fighting Hawks this season after previously sweeping them 3-0 in Grand Forks on Oct. 10.

The Bison will close out their regular season on the road, first taking on the University of South Dakota on Thursday, Nov. 12, at 7 p.m. in Vermillion. NDSU will then travel to Brookings to face South Dakota State on Saturday, Nov. 14, at 1 p.m. before heading into the postseason.