North Dakota State volleyball team hosted University of Nebraska Omaha this past Friday, Oct. 13 in a Summit League matchup. NDSU improved to 13-5 overall and 4-2 in Summit League play, after a 3-0 (25-19, 33-31, 25-15) victory over the Mavericks.
The first set saw three early ties, 3-3 being the later, until the Bison were able to break free. After a four-point run, the Mavericks would take their second timeout of the set at 16-10 Bison. The Bison would continue to score after the timeout, making it 19-11 on the backs of a 7-1 run.
However, the Mavericks did not go quietly in the first. UNO mustered their own four-point run to make it 23-18 in favor of the Bison. NDSU would take the first set 25-19.
NDSU fell behind early in the second set 4-9 before going on a five-point run to tie the game at 9-all. The two teams would exchange points and each go on a four or five-point run. The fifth tie of the set came at 19-all before McKenzie Burke broke the tie with a kill for the Bison. The Bison would take 24-20 lead before the Mavericks would come storming back and tie the set at 24-all and then take the lead at 26-25.
The two teams would exchange points with the set being tied six more times, for a total of 13 ties in the set. At 31-all, Jessica Jorgensen slammed a kill. Brianna Rasmusson followed with a block for the Bison to take the set 33-31.
In the third set, the Bison would come out and take an early 5-3 lead. The Herd would extend the lead on an eight-point run and take a 12-3 lead. Omaha would make some noise with a three-point run to make it 18-11 for the Bison before the Bison went go on a four-point run of their own to make it 22-11. NDSU would take the set with a kill off the hand of Burke. NDSU outhit Omaha 2.78 to -0.029 in the final set.
Both teams had two team blocks at the end of the first, but NDSU reigned supreme at the net with Allie Mauch, Bella Lien, Jorgensen, Rasmusson and Erika Gelzinyte all contributing up front. NDSU finished with six solo blocks in the contest. The Bison held a 9-3 advantage overall.
NDSU outhit Omaha 0.206 to 0.090 with Gelzinyte leading the team with 10 kills on the match. Mauch had nine kills and hit 0.400, with Jorgensen contributing seven kills. Burke and Lien each added six kills. Rasmusson finished the night dishing out 35 assists, eight digs and four kills.
Mikaela Purnell lead the Bison defense with a match-high 25 kills, reaching 20-plus for the 12th time this season and 32nd time in her career. Abbi Klos had 10 digs and three aces, with Burke collecting 10 digs.
Bella Slade led the Mavericks with 12 kills, as Abby Bergsten claimed 11. Sydney O’Shaughnessy had 30 assists and 12 digs. Gessica Gdowski led Omaha with 15 digs and a pair of service aces.