The volleyball and soccer teams enter that midseason grind
The NDSU Volleyball team is on a hot streak.
Buffalo vs NDSU – Volleyball
An early game ended in a win for the Green and Gold, at the Bentson Bunker Fieldhouse.
A wise coach once told me “bend but don’t break”, and that’s exactly what the Herd did. Starting down 2-0 to Buffalo through the first two sets of the game, the Bison were in rough shape.
The Bison got everyone on the same page, and would not let themselves go out without a fight. The Herd dominated the third set as Buffalo was only able to put score a feeble 7 points.
The fourth set, though not nearly as lopsided, was another Bison dub 25-20. With the home crowd and all the momentum, the Herd completed the comeback, taking the final set 15-12.
This was the second time this year that NDSU came back from a two-set deficit to win the match.
Green Bay vs NDSU – Volleyball
A clean three-set sweep was par for the course, as the Herd crippled Green Bay in three sets in the nightcap of Saturday’s match
After coming off a hot win against Buffalo earlier in the day, the Bison didn’t need any time for everybody to start clicking. The Herd jumped on Green Bay and didn’t look back.
The first set was nothing shy of a playground seesaw, with multiple momentum swings and lead changes.
A crucial Green Bay attack error put the herd up five, giving them the cushion they need for a 25-21 victory. The Bison were able to jump on Green Bay early in the second set, notching a 25-20 win.
In the third and final set, the Bison seemed determined to complete the sweep. Give Green Bay credit though, they battled until the final point. Green Bay even held an 18-17 advantage at one point, but the herd rallied to take the set and the match. The final point in the 25-21 win was courtesy of a kill by Allie Mauch.
The loss was just Green Bay’s second of the season.
NDSU vs Univ. of Northern Iowa – Soccer
In any sport, scoring early in the game can be crucial to winning. It has the power to shift momentum, it can deflate the opposing teams’ spirits, and be difficult to overcome as the game clock winds down.
The Herd came into this game 4-2-1, coming off a tough loss on the road against Drake.
The Herd was set to take on the UNI Panthers in hopes of rebounding. Early goals by the Panthers proved to doom the Bison.
In the 14th minute of the first half, UNI Senior Sydney Hayden buried a goal, to give the Panthers 1-0 lead.
The Panthers used their momentum to score again soon after. Redshirt sophomore Olivia Stearns snuck one past NDSU keeper Monica Polgar, to give the Panthers took a 2-0 lead.
The final goal of the game was scored by the Panther’s Jordyn Rolli in the 27th minute of the first half, leaving the Herd tired and unmotivated.
Neither team would score in the second half, as the Panthers’ incredible first half would slam the door on the Bison, the final was 3-0.