Volleyball Drops Back-to-Back Five-Set Matches to SDSU and USD

The North Dakota State volleyball team suffered a pair of five-set losses at Bentson Bunker Fieldhouse last week, falling to South Dakota State on Thursday night before dropping a Saturday afternoon matchup against South Dakota.

The Bison opened the week against the Jackrabbits in front of 1,195 fans. After splitting the first four sets, NDSU struggled to overcome a late South Dakota State run in the deciding frame.

South Dakota State used a 5-1 run to take an 11-7 lead in the fifth set. The Bison responded with a block from Arianna Blohm and Sarah Pfiffner to cut the deficit to 13-11, but the Jackrabbits closed out the set, 15-11, to secure the 3-2 victory.

Lauren Jansen led NDSU with a career-high 25 kills on 60 attempts, recording a .300 hitting percentage. She also finished with eight digs, one block and one service ace.

Pfiffner added 43 assists and 11 digs for her seventh double-double of the season. Rya Borer also recorded a double-double with 10 digs and 10 assists.

The Bison returned to the court Saturday against South Dakota, but the result was similar despite a strong defensive performance.

NDSU recorded a season-high 14 total blocks, its most in a match since 2024. Allie Collins led the way with a match-high seven blocks.

The Bison and Coyotes again split the first four sets before South Dakota took control early in the fifth. The Coyotes built an 8-5 lead and later extended it to 12-8 following a block from Morgan Bode and Audrey Nelson.

NDSU rallied with a 6-2 run to even the score at 14-14 after a kill from Zoe John. However, South Dakota answered with back-to-back kills to take the set, 16-14, and the match, 3-2.

Pfiffner delivered a career-best 51 assists, surpassing the 50-assist mark for the first time. She also recorded 11 digs and four blocks, earning her eighth double-double of the season. Her assist total marked the most by a Bison player in a single match since 2023.

Jansen recorded her second consecutive 20-kill performance, leading NDSU with 21 kills. Blohm added 14 kills and seven blocks while appearing in her 100th career match. Borer led the Bison defensively with a match-high 19 digs.

Following the two losses, NDSU fell to 11-6 overall and 3-4 in Summit League play. The Bison will look to rebound Thursday against Omaha, with first serve scheduled for 6:30 p.m.