Volleyball Splits After a Dominant Sweep to Omaha and a Heartbreaking Loss to St. Thomas

The North Dakota State women's volleyball team split a pair of Summit League matchups this week, sweeping Omaha in three sets before falling short to St. Thomas in a hard-fought five-set battle.

On Oct. 22, 2026, NDSU faced Omaha at the Baxter Arena in Omaha, Nebraska, with the Bison earning a 3-0 sweep (25-16, 25-21, 25-22).

The Bison offense posted a .345 hitting percentage to cruise through the first set and maintain control in the second, while holding off a late Maverick rally in the third. Senior middle blocker Arianna Blohm delivered strong kills late in the set to secure the victory.

Top performers for NDSU included senior outside hitter Lauren Jansen, who recorded 11 kills and three aces. Junior outside hitter Zoe John also delivered a strong front-row performance, recording 11 kills for the Bison.

Sophomore defensive specialist Rya Borer anchored the back row with 12 digs and three aces, while sophomore setter Sarah Pfiffner recorded 32 assists.

On Oct. 24, 2026, NDSU played its second match of the week against the St. Thomas Tommies. The Bison got off to a strong start, winning the first two sets (25-21, 25-17). However, the Tommies rallied to win the final three sets (25-14, 31-29 and 15-13).

After allowing St. Thomas to close the third set on a 7-0 run, NDSU looked to regain control in the fourth, building a late 21-18 lead. However, the Tommies responded with a 4-1 run to tie the set at 22-22 before eventually winning 31-29. In the fifth set, the Bison held a 13-12 lead after a kill from Jansen, but St. Thomas closed with three consecutive points to seal the 3-2 victory.

Jansen recorded a career-high 26 kills, marking the highest single-match kill total by a Bison player since 2022. Her outstanding offensive performance included 12 kills in the fourth set alone.

Other standout front-row performers included John, who recorded 18 kills, and Blohm, who added eight kills for the match.

Surpassing the 1,000-assist milestone for her career, Pfiffner led the team with 45 assists. She directed the Bison offense throughout all five sets with an efficient, all-around performance.

Borer anchored the NDSU defense with 21 digs while also contributing 12 assists to help facilitate the offense alongside Pfiffner.

Next, the Bison will take on the Kansas City Roos at home in the Bentson Bunker Fieldhouse on Thursday, Oct. 29, 2026. First serve is scheduled for 7 p.m.