The Herd fell in the Summit League opener
The Bison fell to conference rival South Dakota State 3-1 in the Summit League opener on Friday, Sept. 27. North Dakota State is now 0-3 in four-set matches. The loss drops NDSU to 5-8 on the season and extends their losing streak to four games, while also dropping their record to 1-3 when on the road.
South Dakota State’s Makenzie Hennen was the star of the match as she collected a match-high 18 kills, 15 digs and three service aces. Henning collected her seventh double-double of the season. Teammate Ashlynn Smith hit .318 while adding 10 kills and six blocks. Carly Wedel had 35 assists and Crystal Burk added 16 digs to go along with three aces. SDSU outhit the Bison .174 to .128 and had a 9-6 advantage in team blocks.
Syra Tanchin led the way for NDSU with 14 kills while adding 10 digs for her first double-double of the season. Kalli Hegerle and Kelley Johnson combined for 39 assists, while Kaylee Hanger claimed a match-high 19 digs. Hanger has now led the team in digs in six matches this season. Hegerle and Hanger each added a pair of aces. This marks the eighth time Hegerle has led the team in assists this season. It was also the eighth time that Hegerle and Johnson have combined for at least 35 assists in a match this season.
Although the Bison had the advantage in most of the statistical categories they weren’t able to grab the victory. NDSU had a 62-60 advantage in points, a 51-45 advantage on kills, a 47-41 advantage on assists and a 68-57 edge on digs.
The Bison will look to right the ship as they travel to Omaha on Sunday to take on the Nebraska Omaha Mavericks. The Mavericks are coming off of a 3-1 win over North Dakota on Friday. This will be a tall task for the Bison as the Mavericks are ranked third in the Summit League standings. Omaha also boasts an impressive 4-2 home record which doesn’t bode well for the Bison due to their struggles on the road so far this season. With conference play underway, the Bison cannot afford to lose any more ground in the standings.