Volleyball Dominates In-State Rival UND with a Sweep in Grand Forks

Last week, the North Dakota State women’s volleyball team swept its in-state rivals, the University of North Dakota Fighting Hawks, in a 3–0 victory on Saturday, Oct. 10, at the Betty Engelstad Sioux Center in Grand Forks, North Dakota.

The Bison came out strong in the first set, with an early 5–1 lead. However, UND fought back to even the score at 16–16. NDSU responded with a strong 4–0 run to break the tie and regain control.

The Bison held onto their lead to close out the set.

With the second set being a much closer battle, the Fighting Hawks brought plenty of energy early, opening with a 6–1 run. The set remained competitive, featuring 12 ties and seven lead changes. UND briefly took a 19–18 lead late in the frame, but NDSU answered with four consecutive points to pull ahead and take a 2–0 match lead.

In the third set, UND held a brief 10–8 lead before the Bison took control. NDSU held a strong 10–0 run, building an 18–10 lead, with Fighting Hawks struggling throughout the rest of the game. NDSU maintained their momentum and closed out the set with a 25–14 win to complete the sweep.

Overall, NDSU’s offense was difficult to defend, even as UND found success at the net. The Fighting Hawks finished with nine blocks compared to the Bison’s six.

The set scores for the match were 25-22, 25-21 and 25-14.

Senior outside hitter Lauren Jansen led the Bison offensively with a match high of 17 kills. Junior outside hitter Zoe John also made a major impact for the Bison off the bench, recording 11 kills on 16 swings for an impressive .688 hitting percentage.

Sophomore setter Sarah Pfiffner helped keep the offense running smoothly, finishing with a match high of 29 assists and eight digs. This helped the Bison stay strong defensively and limit UND’s opportunities to gain momentum.

Sophomore defensive specialist Rya Borer recorded the most digs for the Bison, finishing with a team-high nine.

NDSU will look to keep the momentum going as they get ready to face the South Dakota State Jackrabbits. The Bison will host their regional rivals at the Bentson Bunker Fieldhouse on Thursday, Oct. 15, at 7 p.m. NDSU will look to build on their success from last Saturday and put together another strong performance on their home court as the team prepares for another big matchup against the Jackrabbits.