The NDSU volleyball team opened its 2024 campaign this past week at the Fort Myers Classic, playing three matches against UAlbany, Florida Gulf Coast, and the University of Illinois-Chicago.
The Bison were swept by UAlbany in their first match of the year by final scores of 25-21, 25-23, and 25-13. Ali Hinze, who was named to the Summit League Volleyball Players to Watch List, led the way for the Bison with 11 kills and 3 kills, followed by Lauren Jansen with 10 kills and five digs. Freshman setter Maddy Dombeck turned in 18 assists, and defensive specialist Logan O’Brien recorded a team-high 12 digs. The Bison hit .163 as a team with 38 kills, 34 assists, and 34 digs.
The second match of the year went slightly better for the Bison, as they forced a fifth-set loss to the Florida Gulf Coast Eagles. Once again, Hinze set the tone for the Bison, logging 12 kills and 19 digs for her first double-double of the year. Dombeck notched another 19 assists, and O’Brien logged a team-high 24 digs. The Bison got behind 2-1 in sets early but were able to force a fifth set by taking the fourth set 25-19. The Bison got hot to start the fifth set and took an early 10-5, but a late rally by the Eagles wrapped it up with a final score of 15-12. NDSU tallied 44 total kills, 42 assists, and 62 digs.
The Bison were able to battle back and force a fifth set after dropping the first two of their third match of the year against the University of Illinois-Chicago. The Bison were able to take the third set by a final of 26-24 and closed out the fourth set by a final score of 25-21. A hot start by the Flames in the fifth set was too much for NDSU to overcome, as they dropped the final set by a score of 15-9. Ali Hinze logged her third top performance of the year, leading the team with 12 kills and four digs. Freshman setter Emily Bruss led the team in both assists (23) and aces (3), and Logan O’Brien once again spearheaded the Bison defense, logging a team-high 14 digs. As a team, NDSU totaled 45 kills, 43 assists, and 35 digs.
The Bison dropped to 0-3 and will look to bounce back when they take on the West Virginia Mountaineers on Friday, September 7, at the Bentson Bunker Fieldhouse.
This article was written by sports writer Sam Huesby